


Chuck Vs. The Twist of Fate

by Amelia_Wolfson



Category: Chuck (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-12-22 15:21:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 196,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21078995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amelia_Wolfson/pseuds/Amelia_Wolfson
Summary: What if Chuck hadn't been kicked out of Stanford? What if Sarah made another choice with Molly? How would their lives change and, dare we say, intersect? (cross posted to FFN)There are a couple character cameos from some of my favorite shows, bet you can't find them.





	1. Chapter 1

Sarah couldn’t help but think how her life had led her to this point; daughter of a con-man turned CIA field operative, turned unintentional kidnapper. The rain beat against the window of the room of her run-down hotel room as she paced the floor, the package resting in her arms. She had no idea what she was doing, or how naïve she had been to believe Riker. How he had convinced her that traveling to Budapest to retrieve some illusive package was beyond her, there were so many signs she’d missed that, looking back were clear indicators that this mission wasn’t exactly sanctioned.

She did have to admit, however, that it was a good thing that she’d come along. God only knows what would have happened to the package had she not been involved. What Riker had planned for the package… she shook her head to banish the thoughts from her head. The rogue agent’s intentions didn’t matter now, only making sure that the package was safe and away from him. For now, all she could do from here is make the best of this messed up situation she had found herself in.

“I don’t know what you want!” Sarah moaned, overwhelmed by the screaming infant in her arms. “I’ve fed you, I’ve changed you, I’ve held you, what am I doing wrong?”

Sarah paced the floor as tears rivaling the infant’s threatened to stream down her cheeks. _I wish my mom was here,_ she thought before nearly kicking herself and grabbing the burner phone she’d bought just hours ago. Dialing the number she’d memorized over two decades before, she waited impatiently, hoping that someone would be home.

“_Hello?_” Sarah breathed a sigh of relief at the warm feminine voice on the other end on the line.

“Mom?”

“Sam_?!_” Her mother’s shock evident in her voice, “_My God, I haven’t heard from you in… well, far too long. How are you, Hunny? Where have you been keeping yourself lately?_”

“Well,” Sarah sat on the bed beside the still whimpering little girl as she held the phone to her ear, “I’ve had better days.”

The baby let out a scream, that strained Sarah’s ear drums, “_My God, is that a baby?_” She heard her mother gasp, “_Did you… were you… why didn’t you tell me?”_

“It’s kind of a long story that I really can’t get into right now, Mom.” Sarah hedged, “I do need your help, though.”

“_Anything, Sam, you know that.”_ Her mother assured her, “_Do you need a place to stay?_”

“No, nothing like that,” Sarah chuckled sardonically, “At least for right now; I’m a little too far away, although I may take you up on it someday. I just can’t get her to stop crying. I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried changing her, feeding her, even walking her around the room, but nothing works!”

“_She can probably sense how frustrated you are,”_ The wiser woman spoke gently, “_Try taking a few deep breaths and try holding her again once you’ve calmed down a little.”_

“Okay,” Sarah agreed nervously, placing the phone on speaker as she took a few deep, cleansing breaths, and lifted the little girl into her arms. After a few moments, the girl was still crying, “It’s not working, Mom.”

“_Try holding her against your left shoulder,” _Her mother advised, “_So she can hear your heartbeat and sing to her. Do you remember the lullaby I used to sing you when you were little?_”

“Kind of,” Sarah sighed, “No.”

“_Slumber my darling,”_ Her mother’s warm mezzo voice came through the tinny speaker, “_Mother is here, guarding your dreams…”_

“From all terror and fear,” Sarah joined her, the lyrics coming back to her, “Sunlight has passed, and the twilight has gone, slumber my darling, and the night’s coming on.”

By the time the two women had finished singing, the baby had quieted and was asleep against Sarah’s shoulder, “My God, it worked!” She whispered, taking the phone off speaker and cradling it between her cheek and shoulder as she slowly walked the room, “Thank you.”

“_You’re welcome, Hunny,_” Her mother assured her, “_I know this is long distance, so I’m going to let you go. You should try to get some rest while she is sleeping. Come by and visit if you’re ever back in the area, I’m still where I’ve always been._”

“Okay,” Sarah nodded, “I love you.”

“_I love you too, Sammy._” And with that, she heard the distinct click of the call disconnecting.

Sarah gently placed the baby on the bed, and quickly stripped down to her t-shirt and panties before lifting the girl once more and settling them both under the covers of the small hotel room’s bed to try to get a few hours of sleep.

The rain from the night before had faded into a soft drizzle, the sun still hidden behind storm clouds, giving the sky a slight grey hue. After changing and feeding the infant, Sarah pulled her pants back on and tucked the girl against her chest and under her jacket to protect her from the rain. She grabbed the backpack in which she packed a few diapers, a bottle, and the formula she’d been feeding the small girl and quietly slipped out of her room and into the late morning haze.

After changing buses a half-dozen times, she stepped off the bus and into a small store. She quickly grabbed a couple shirts, pants, a scarf, and a loose dress for herself; more diapers, a few simple dresses, and a crocheted purple and grey blanket for the baby and paid the clerk before ducking into the restroom and locking the door. Thanking every deity she could think of that there was a changing station with a safety strap attached to it, she laid down the little girl and strapped her onto the foldable platform.

She quickly stripped out of the black BDU pants and t-shirt that she’d been wearing since she’d arrived two days before and pulled the dress over her head. It was a pale shade of pink with a floral pattern, knee length with a modest round neck and short sleeves, and had a small tie in the back, which she did up loose enough to hide her true form but not so loose as to completely lack shape. Sliding her feet into a pair of flats she’d grabbed from a display, she finger-combed her long blonde hair up and out of her face, securing it with a hair-tie and wrapping the scarf over her head so as to hide her blonde locks from prying eyes until she could get further into her travels. Stuffing the clothing, save one of the small dresses and a diaper into her bag, she quickly changed the baby and discarded their old clothing and the diaper the girl had been wearing. Slipping her dark jacket back on and hefting her bag back over her shoulders she wrapped the girl up in the blanket and made her way to the train station.

“Two tickets to Vienna, please,” She requested in her best Hungarian as she slid a few Forint notes over the counter to cover the fare. With a grateful smile to the woman at the counter, she bundled herself and the infant onto the train, grabbing a seat far enough away from other passengers to not be overheard, but not so far away as to be suspicious and settled in for the 2-hour train ride. Thankful the motion of the train put the baby to sleep, she pulled out her burner phone and dialed the number for one of her father’s international associates.

“Max, it’s Hannah,” She spoke quietly so as to not awake the baby and using the name the document forger would recognize her by, “I’m calling in a few of those favors you owe my father.”

36 hours later, she was armed with new passports for both her and the baby, and tickets home. The next leg of their journey found them, once again on a train, this time in a private room heading toward Frankfurt. Max, once apprised of the fact she was traveling with an infant and very little supplies, had also provided her with a wearable baby carrier, diaper bag, luggage, and clothes for both herself and the baby; all hand-me-downs from his youngest daughter’s family. He’d also made sure she had enough diapers, formula, and spending money to make it back to the states.

“We are even now, yes?” The older man asked when he met her at her hotel room the night before.

“Yes, we’re even,” Sarah assured him, “Thank Brigida and Samuel for me.”

“I will,” Max smiled warmly, “You take care of that beautiful little girl. I hope you like the names I chose for you,” He added with a wink.

She had almost laughed when she opened the passport to find the names they were traveling under. Somehow Max had gotten his hands on two US passports listing their names as Samantha and Lisa Browne. She was sure it wasn’t a coincidence he chose those names but chose not to confront him.

“Next stop, Frankfurt, Germany!” Came the announcement in German and English. “Estimated arrival in Frankfurt, 20 minutes.” Sarah stood, stretching her back before gathering their things back into the bags she had strewn around her. Strapping on the carrier, she got the infant situated.

“Okay, little one,” Sarah sighed, lifting the strap of the diaper bag and her back pack over her shoulder and pulling the small rolling suitcase behind her down the hall of the train, “I hope you’re good with flying, because that’s all we’re going to be doing for the next day or so.”

The baby merely babbled in her carrier as they exited the train. Sarah, with the assistance of a porter, flagged down a taxi to take them to the airport. Before long, they were approaching the gate. “General boarding for Lufthansa flight 1028 to Paris will begin in 20 minutes, please have your boarding passes and passports available.” The announcement came as Sarah sat in the boarding area.

Soon it was their turn to board, Sarah picked up her backpack and the diaper bag, having checked the rolling suitcase for the remainder of the trip, and headed to the gate. Handing the documents to the gate agent, she waited patiently while their boarding passes were scanned and they were permitted to continue on down the jetway.

“Here, Mademoiselle, allow me to assist you,” A kind old man helped her put her backpack in the overhead bin, so she could get settled, “If you do not mind me saying so, your daughter is very beautiful.”

“Oh, merci,” Sarah smiled up at him as she tucked the diaper bag under the space in front of her and secured the seatbelt across her lap. As soon as the passengers were completely boarded, the flight attendants closed the doors and the plane pushed back from the gate.

It seemed as if the baby would sleep for most of the flight, but as soon as the plane began to climb, the infant let loose a shrieking, painful scream. No matter what she did, Sarah could not get the infant to calm down and stop crying. For the entirety of the just over an hour-long flight she tried to ignore the rude, disgruntled, stares from her fellow passengers who were none too pleased to be trapped with a screaming infant and no immediate escape. Finally, at long last, the plane touched down and they were allowed to gather their things a depart the aircraft.

The baby’s screams had dulled to a whimper as they went through customs and claimed their checked bag before re-checking it for their flight back to the states. The flight to Dallas would be departing in a little over two hours, so Sarah bided her time getting there.

After changing and feeding the baby and eating a small snack of pita chips, Sarah made her way to the gate area. The infant had seemed to relax again once they were on the ground, but it was clear she was getting restless with the near-constant travel of the past couple days and had soon wound herself up in a tizzy. With a sigh, Sarah lifted the girl to her shoulder, humming and rocking the girl as she paced the passenger boarding area, once again trying to ignore the not-so-hidden scowls and stares from the other passengers.

~~~~~~~~~

He had just closed his laptop when he heard the announcement from the gate, “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, we will begin boarding American Airlines flight 49 to Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas in about a half an hour, please make sure you have all your carry-on baggage consolidated and documentation available for boarding.” The message was repeated in English and then French. “At this time, we need passengers Samantha and Lisa Browne to approach the podium.”

He watched as a frazzled young mother with the screaming infant hesitantly hitched her bags over her shoulder and approached the desk where the agents were working. He quickly slipped his laptop into its case as he watched the confused look pass over the young mother’s face as she was handed her upgraded tickets. It hadn’t been too hard to hack the airline’s server and find out who she was, there were no other women traveling alone with an infant on the flight.

Normally, he wouldn’t have done such a thing, but there was something about the woman that compelled him to use his significant hacking prowess for her benefit. Despite her frazzled appearance, there was hidden strength that reminded him of another young mother he knew. It was clear the woman was beyond her depth as she paced the floor of the waiting area with the screaming, overtired, infant.

He watched as the young woman showed their passports to the gate agent and was escorted down the jetway. He stood, rebuttoned the jacket of his suit, and slipped the strap of his laptop case over his shoulder as the business-class cabin boarding call was announced. He pulled his own passport and ticket from his breast pocket and made his way to the gate.

One on the plane he adopted a rushed countenance as he quickly made his way toward his seat, placing his laptop in the overhead bin before dropping into his aisle seat, “I am so sorry, Hunny,” He huffed to his confused seatmate, “I was delayed out of Rome.”

“I’m sorry?” The woman arched her eyebrow at him as she bounced the infant on her lap, who was still inconsolable. Chuck couldn’t help but notice the brown ballet flats, khaki chinos, and pale blue blouse she was wearing which perfectly matched her eyes. She was more attractive up close than he’d initially realized.

“Just go with it,” He whispered under his breath before going back to his regular volume, “I know I was only meant to be gone 24 hours, but these da…darn meetings got extended making me miss my flight back yesterday, I am so sorry I wasn’t able to meet you and Lisa back at the hotel.”

“It’s okay… Babe?” Sarah stuttered, not sure what to make of the man beside her, “I understand that these things happen, I’m just glad you were able to make this flight home. I think the upgraded seats more than make up for it. Besides, it’s not like we won’t have you all to ourselves once we get home.”

“Glad to hear it,” The young man smiled at her warmly before kissing her on the cheek and standing to remove his suit jacket.

Sarah couldn’t help but notice the way his shirt moved across his shoulders and arms, hinting at the muscles beneath. His shirt was tucked into his grey slacks, which fit his backside wonderfully, she noticed as he turned to hand the jacket to the stewardess who was passing by. He seemed to keep himself in good shape, but it was clear that he didn’t overdo it to the point where muscles overwhelmed his slim frame. He was tall, enough that he still had to stoop a bit to avoid hitting his head on the roof of the cabin. He moved with a subtle, cautious, grace indicating a once gangly body which had since been filled out. Sarah couldn’t help but notice how attractive he was.

He had an easy smile, warm brown eyes, and his brown hair was close-cropped but curled a little on the top. There was something about him that she couldn’t put her finger on, something familiar, as if they’d known each other for years. Whatever it was, had her trusting him almost immediately, something that Sarah never did.

The man spoke a few words to the stewardess in fluent French before sitting back down again. A winsome smile on his lips, he offered her his hand, “Charles Car… erm, Chuck.” He cleared his throat, “Chuck Bartowski.”

“Samantha, Sam Browne,” She shifted the baby in her lap and extended her right hand, “And of course, this is Lisa.”

Chuck gently raised their joined hands to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles, “Enchanté, Mademoiselle.” He smiled warmly at her, eyes sparkling with boyish charm that suited him.

“Excusez-moi monsieur et madame,” The stewardess’ voice broke through, “Your drinks?”

“Thank you,” Chuck turned his smile to the young woman before accepting the glasses from her hand. “I hope Sprite is okay.”

“It’s perfect,” Sarah assured him, taking a sip from her glass, “Thank you.”

“Do you have a bottle for Lisa?” Chuck nodded toward the still-whimpering infant in Sarah’s arms.

“Yes, and formula,” Sarah nodded, trying not to be offended, “It’s in the diaper bag.”

“Allow me,” Chuck bent forward, pulling the bag from beneath the seat and slipping a clean bottle from the side pocket where it had been stored, handing it to the stewardess, “Miss, could you please fill this with one part hot and two parts tepid water?”

“Of course, sir,” The young woman smiled, “Is there anything else you require?”

“No that should be all for now,” Chuck assured her and sent the woman off to complete her task, “I noticed that you came from the international arrivals and little miss Lisa has been crying and pulling at her ears since then. I figured her ears still hadn’t cleared from the flight you were on before. The bottle should help relieve the pressure.”

“How do you know this?” Sarah searched his face.

“My niece, Clara, has the same problems when she flies,” Chuck shrugged, “My sister and brother-in-law occasionally fly to visit his parents in Chicago. I’ve flown with them when my travel plans wind up coordinating with theirs, I picked up a few tricks.”

The stewardess returned with the bottle as Chuck was mid-explanation. By the time he’d finished, he’d already added the formula mix to the water, and rolled up his left sleeve, revealing his high-end white gold watch, to test the temperature before handing the bottle to Sarah.

“It’s appreciated,” Sara smiled at him as she offered the bottle to the baby who stopped crying and drank greedily, all whimpers and crying, finally, abated. “Ah, blessed silence,” Sarah laid her head back against the head rest as the stewardess collected their pre-flight drinks and did her final checks and safety briefing.

Chuck noticed that the bottle had slipped from Lisa’s little mouth now that the girl had calmed down enough to doze off in her mother’s arms. Seeing that Sarah was nearly gone as well, Chuck gently removed the bottle from her hand. “You must be exhausted, you look like you’ve been traveling for days with no sleep.” He smiled warmly, “Why don’t you let me hold Lisa for a bit while you get some shut-eye, it’s not like I’m going anywhere for the next 10 or 11 hours.”

“I’ve gotten a little sleep,” Sarah protested only to get a knowing look from Chuck, “Okay, maybe I will take a nap, but just for a little while.”

“Take as long as you need.” He assured her, cradling her daughter to his chest. Once they reached altitude, he reached over and, pressing a few buttons, shifted her seat into a full horizontal position, and with a little help from the flight attendant, covered her with a small blanket.

Sarah awoke an hour and a half later to find Chuck, seat reclined, legs bent to fit on the extended foot rest, dozing with the baby on his chest. Despite only having met him a couple hours before, something about the picture it created seemed so right to her. A small smile graced her lips as she watched the man sleep, a protective hand over the back of the infant resting against his chest which slowly rose and fell with each breath.

The baby started to fuss in her sleep, only to be calmed by Chuck’s left hand slowly rubbing the girl’s back in soothing circles until she settled back into her own slumber. “I can feel you watching me,” His voice carried a note of amusement as he opened his left eye to peek at her. “It’s flattering, if not a smidge creepy.”

“Sorry,” Sarah blushed.

“Don’t be sorry,” He assured her, “It’s not every day a beautiful woman looks my way.”

“Well you’re not exactly unpleasant to look at,” Sarah teased.

“Why Miss Browne, are you flirting with me?”

“Maybe a little Mister Bartowski.” Sara chuckled, “What are you going to do about it?”

“Nothing for now,” He shrugged, “I figure by the time this flight lands in,” He glanced at the watch on his wrist, “Roughly eight hours, you’ll have gotten over this little infatuation of yours and realized I’m no good for you.”

“Maybe it’s me that is no good for you,” Sarah teased.

“Impossible,” Chuck smirked as he drifted back off to sleep.

An hour later found all three of them awake. Both adults balanced eating their lunches with feeding the baby. Once the bottle was gone, Sarah scooped up the baby and the diaper bag before heading toward the lavatory. She returned a few minutes later with a freshly changed baby and settled back into her seat.

“So, Chuck,” She smiled at her traveling companion, “What is it that you do for a living?”

“I’m a computer consultant,” He shrugged, “I travel where work sends me to evaluate and analyze threats to computerized infrastructure. It combines my love of travel with my nerdy side, so it works well for me. I do miss my sister when I travel, though.”

“You do not seem like a nerd,” Sarah shook her head.

“Oh, trust me, I am a super big nerd,” Chuck laughed, “I met my best friend from college bonding over our love of that old computer game, Zork.”

“Zork?” Sarah looked at him quizzically.

“It’s an old text-based video game,” He shrugged, “’You have been eaten by a Gru.’ It was really silly, but hey, it worked for us. We even made our own version of it once we became roommates. We were probably the nerdiest guys in all of Gamma Delta Phi, which is really saying something as the frat was mostly populated with graphic design, CAD, and engineering students.”

“Wait, you were a frat boy?” Sara chuckled, “Somehow, I can’t imagine you in a frat, even a nerdy one.”

“It wasn’t all keggers and crazy stunts,” Chuck protested with a slight shrug, “Granted, there was a bit of that, we used to play nerf gun tag in the library. You know, sneaking around the stacks armed with nothing but a nerf gun to protect you. Bryce was always better at it than I was, I remember one time, we were both out of ammo, and he put his hands up to show he was out. What he was really doing was pulling a spare dart from a hidey hole beneath the shelf. He then loaded his gun and shot me right between the eyes.”

“Poor Chuck,” Sarah commiserated with him.

“Stupid dart stuck to my forehead so well, it left a mark,” Chuck rolled his eyes, “Looked like I had a hickey between my eyes for a week! I wish I could say I handled my loss like an adult, we were 22 at the time and seniors, but sadly I retaliated in one of the most juvenile fashions ever, a few weeks later.”

“Oh no, what did you do?”

“Pantsed him in front of all of the Tri-Deltas.” He grinned, “To make it even better, he was wearing his Superman boxers. Bright blue with red and yellow superman logos all over it. It was classic!”

“What did he do?” She arched her eyebrow at her seat mate.

“What any red-blooded American frat guy would do,” Chuck smirked, “Turned it into a strip tease which ended with him bare-assed, slipping into the frat house. The guys called him Gypsy Rose for a month after that.”

“I can imagine,” She chuckled, “Where did you go to school?”

“Stanford class of 2003, I was an Engineering major and had a full-ride scholarship.” Chuck grinned proudly, “Grew up in Burbank, so it was far enough away from home to be able to be independent but close enough that within 6 hours, by car or train, I could be home or at UC-Berkley where my sister was in medical school. Where are you from, did you go to college?”

“I’m from all over the place.” Sarah shrugged, “Kinda a long story, my folks split up when I was little, my mom is still in the LA area, but Dad moved around a lot and I moved with him much of the time too. The longest we stayed anywhere was in San Diego my Junior and Senior years of high school, I was offered a great opportunity that got me early admission to Harvard, so I got to finish my classes and graduate high school early.”

“Wow, you must be really smart,” Chuck’s eyes widened. “What was your major?”

“I did okay,” Sarah shrugged, “Linguistics, I can speak Italian, Polish, Hungarian, Russian, Farsi, French, Thai, and Mandarin fluently in addition to English.”

“There’s a dirty joke in there somewhere, but I fancy myself too much of a gentleman to state it,” Chuck smirked at her, causing her to blush slightly. “So, are you heading home now, see your mom so she can meet her granddaughter?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Sarah shrugged, “The goal is to go to my mom’s and hope that we can crash with her for a little bit until I can get some things squared away.”

“You’re not in trouble with the law, are you?” Chuck joked, only to stop laughing at Sarah’s wide-eyed look of despair. “Sam, I was joking.”

“Oh, yeah, right,” She chuckled nervously, “So what about you, going home to see your sister?”

“No, this trip is completely business, I have some project wrap-up meetings in DC,” Chuck shrugged, “I still have another week before I can actually go home. I’ll see her then, she’s insisting that I meet some of her friends from work, she’s concerned that I’m too much of a loner and need companionship, or something like that. It’s a complete set-up like all the other times she’s pulled this.”

“Seems to me that you could find companionship on your own, if you needed it.” Sarah gave him a soft smile as her cheeks flushed slightly, “That came out wrong.”

“I knew what you meant,” Chuck assured her, “Would you like to join us and prove that point?” Chuck offered, handing her his pen and the back side of a receipt from his pocket, “If you give me your email address, I’ll send you the details, I doubt Ellie would mind another mouth or two.”

“Okay,” She smiled at him before handing over the little girl in her arms, “Trade me for a moment, will ya?”

“Sure,” Chuck grinned, cradling the little girl in his arms while Sarah quickly jotted down her email address, “Lisa and I could use a little bit of snuggle time if you want to get a little more rest, might help with the jet lag.”

“Really,” Sarah smirked, tucking the receipt and pen back into Chuck’s shirtfront pocket, “And are you going to sleep too or are you not as concerned about the time difference.”

“You’re traveling through more time zones,” Chuck pointed out, “I’ll still be three hours ahead of you once all our traveling is done.”

“I’ll give you that,” Sarah conceded, “But you probably should try to get some rest.”

“How about we both do?” Chuck suggested, reaching up and ringing the flight attendant call button. A few moments later, their chairs were converted to flat sleepers with pillows and blankets. They chose to keep the partition between their seats open since there wasn’t much of a space between the two chairs but raised the privacy partition that separated Chuck’s aisle seat from the rest of the cabin.

“Now, Mister Bartowski, I’m not certain this is entirely proper,” Sarah teased, “An unmarried man and woman hidden behind these partitions, what will people say?”

“They probably assume we are married or at the very least a couple,” Chuck shrugged, “I mean Lisa has been passed between us more than a USB in a tech firm.”

“I suppose you have a point,” Sarah sighed, trying to get the baby into her sleeper. She was slowly getting the hang of dressing the child, but sometimes struggled when the baby squirmed.

“May I?” Chuck held out his hands for the baby and the clothing.

“Be my guest, sometimes dressing her is like dressing an octopus,” Sarah groaned, “I swear she grows limbs every time I try to get her changed.”

“Clara’s the same way,” Chuck smiled easily, “But we know just how to get around that, now don’t we Sweet Pea?” He cooed to the infant as he deftly slipped his long fingers through the sleeves of the sleeper and pulled the baby’s tiny hands through before zipping up the sleeper. Lifting the girl into his arms, he settled her against his chest as he leaned back against what now was his headboard, crossing his long legs at the ankles and resting the drowsy little girl on his shoulder as he hummed ‘Padma’s Theme.’ Sarah could only look on in shock.

“How did you do that?” She asked.

“Easy, she likes me better,” Chuck smirked as the baby nuzzled deeper into his shoulder, “See?”

“Fine, well don’t come crying to me if she wakes you up screaming.” Sarah warned, sliding under the sheet and blanket and closing her eyes. “It’s your show ‘Daddy.’”

“We don’t mind so much, do we, Sweet Pea,” Chuck murmured to the infant as he felt warmth blooming in his chest. He pulled the blanket and sheet out from under him and shifted on to his side, facing Sarah, with the baby nestled up against his chest, “Lets let your mama get some rest while we get a few winks ourselves.”

A few hours later, the pair awoke, slightly more refreshed than they were when they boarded the plane, Chuck fed the baby while Sarah got herself straightened out. As the plane descended, the infant began to whimper, which was quickly resolved by Chuck instructing Sarah to let the baby suck on her knuckle.

“That’s disgusting,” Sarah frowned.

“Oh, like you haven’t gotten more than just slobber on you since the time she was born,” He teased. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a cloth handkerchief, “Here, for your hand.”

“Thanks,” Sarah smiled warmly at him as she accepted the handkerchief and offered the knuckle of her fore finger to the infant to mouth so that her ears could clear. To her surprise, the baby quieted down a bit as they continued to descend.

As is always the way, the moment the plane reached the gate, everyone was up and out of their seats, except Sarah and Chuck. “No need to get trampled when both our lay-overs are over two hours long.” He had shrugged, watching as the passengers around him quickly pulled their baggage from the overhead bins and from under their seats in preparation of clearing customs. As the cabin began to clear out, Chuck handed the baby to Sarah, stretching his back before putting his suit jacket back on and collecting his laptop case along with Sarah’s back pack from the overhead bin.

Sarah made quick work of strapping the baby carrier to her chest and getting the infant settled before grabbing the diaper bag and looking for her backpack. “Looking for this?” Chuck asked shrugging the shoulder he’d looped her bag over. “I figured you had your hands full with Sweet Pea there, so I thought I’d at least carry it until you’re ready to go through customs.

“Thanks,” Sarah smiled up at him as he allowed her to pass in front of him. She felt his hand rest on the base of her spine as they crossed into the jet bridge, up the ramp, then down into the lower level which held the customs area. The pair quietly chatted as they waited in line to officially re-enter the United States. Once they were a few passengers away from being called to the booth to show their identification, Sarah pulled the passports for her and the baby along with their customs forms from the backpack that Chuck still had. Once the bag was closed again, Chuck shifted the backpack off his shoulder and looped it over her shoulders so that she could get through.

“You and your wife are simply adorable and that little girl of yours looks so much like her mother.” An older lady behind Chuck cooed at him while he watched Sarah and Lisa be processed. “Why aren’t you with them?”

“Thank you for the compliment, they really are something, aren’t they?” Chuck smiled at the pair, waiving when Sarah gave him a small waive, “I was traveling for business, still am, they just joined me in Paris for a bit before heading home, I still have to head back east to wrap up a few projects.”

“Well I wish you both safe travels, so you can meet up with each other soon,” The older woman gave him a beatific smile, “I remember waiting in anticipation for my husband to come home from overseas, he was a naval pilot, even a POW for several years. My family wanted me to declare him presumed dead, but one day a young man came and told me my Albert would be coming home soon so I never did. Best decision of my life as we now have three grown daughters and several grandchildren. Come to think, the young man who visited me looked a little like you.”

“You don’t say,” Chuck indulged the woman with a small chuckle, “That had to be a feat, not many men out there look like me outside of my father and me. My name’s Chuck.”

“I’m Beth,” The older woman shook his hand, “Oops, looks like the customs agent is waiting for you.”

“It was nice to meet you, Beth,” Chuck smiled at her, “Hope you have a nice flight to…”

“New Mexico,” She shrugged, “My husband is overseeing a project out there, has been for the last couple decades, but it’s over now. I just went to go visit our grandchildren where my son-in-law is stationed in Prague while he wraps it up. Have a safe flight, Chuck.”

Chuck gave Beth a small waive as he approached the customs agent and answered the standard questions regarding where he’d been and if he’d brought anything he needed to declare. Soon he was deemed to be fit to return to the states. As he approached the baggage carousel, he noticed that Sarah was still waiting for her baggage to come around. Assisting her with pulling the small roller-board from the conveyor belt before rescuing his own, slightly larger bag, they headed toward the ticketing counter to recheck their bags to their respective locations.

“That’s a really small bag for an international trip,” Chuck mused.

“I could say the same for you, Chuck,” Sarah eyed his own black bag.

“Yeah well, after hearing I pack too much for these trips, I figured I should probably listen before I gave myself a hernia,” Chuck laughed, “I’m normally a chronic over-packer, still trying to break the habit.”

“I tend to be on the opposite side of the spectrum,” Sarah shrugged as they waited for the line to progress. “I don’t always carry enough, and I’ve learned over the course of this trip that less is not always better when traveling with an infant.”

“Sam,” Chuck turned to her, “If you don’t mind me asking, where is her father?”

“He’s…” Sarah looked uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot beside him, “Well, he died, was murdered.”

“I’m so sorry,” Chuck ran his hand down the back of her arm, causing goosebumps to spring up along her back and send shivers down her spine at the contact. “Were you very close?”

“No,” Sarah shook her head, her voice indicating that the topic was to not be pursued. “Not close at all.”

“Oh, um, okay then,” Chuck nodded as they approached the ticket counters and checked their bags once more and headed toward the security gates to catch their respective flights to their final destinations. Since they both had a little time, they ate a snack purchased from a generic concourse vendor before heading to their gates. Since Chuck’s flight was due to depart later than Sarah’s, he escorted her to her gate and sat with her until it was time for him to make his way to his plane. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Samantha Browne.”

“It was nice to meet you as well, Charles Bartowski,” Sara smiled back at him.

“Well, I hope our paths may cross again,” He gave her a side hug so as to not squish the infant who was slumbering in her carrier, “You too, Sweet Pea.” He whispered, dropping a soft kiss to the crown of the infant’s head. Not noticing how close his face was to Sarah’s until he stood back up and came nose to nose with her. They stood in front of one another awkwardly, in that limbo between the casual friendship they’d struck up on the plane and the spark neither was willing to acknowledge was there. “Well,” Clearing his throat, Chuck tried to break the tension, “I’m that-a-way,” He pointed down the concourse, “Have a good flight. I hope your visit with your Mom goes well.”

“You too,” Sarah nodded, “I mean safe flight, hope your meetings in DC are productive and whatnot.”

“See you later, Sam.”

“Bye, Chuck,” Sarah waived as she watched him walk down the concourse, throwing a glance over his shoulder at her once more before rounding the corner to the underground terminal connector. With a sigh, she looked down at the infant strapped to her chest, “Well, Little One, you ready to meet my mom? I bet she’s going to love you.”


	2. Chapter 2

The house was just as she remembered it. The bright red door stood out against the white-washed siding and tan trim of her mother’s home. A small picket fence bordered the front lawn leading to a taller wooden fence that separated the front and backyards. “Okay, Sarah, it’s now or never,” She sighed to herself, slowly opening the car door and crossing to the back seat where the baby dozed in her carrier.

After a small struggle to free the carrier from it’s base, Sarah had the carry bar looped over her arm, holding the infant’s seat as one would a picnic basket. Taking a deep breath to calm the nerves that fluttered through her stomach, she made her way up the driveway. Letting herself through the small gate, she crossed the flagstone path and breached the porch, “Here goes nothing,” She lifted the brass knocker and hit it against the attached plate on the door.

It didn’t take long for the door to swing open, revealing a woman with kind blue eyes, dirty blonde hair which held more strands of grey than Sarah remembered. The woman wore a green blouse and jean skirt and stood wiping her hands off with a dish towel. “Sam?” The woman whispered as if convinced she was seeing a ghost.

“Hi, Mom,” Sarah gave her mother a sheepish smile, “May we come in?”

“Oh, of course, where are my manners?” The woman stepped back, allowing Sarah to cross over the threshold. “Kick off your shoes and come take a seat in the living room.”

Sarah watched as her mother walked further into the house before toeing off her shoes, glad she’d worn flats that day, and rebalanced the baby carrier in her arms before following the path her mother had taken toward the living room. She found her mom setting out a pitcher of lemonade and a couple glasses on one side of the coffee table, leaving the other side for Sarah to gently rest the carrier so as to not wake the sleeping infant. She sat down on the couch only to be joined a moment later by her mother, who handed her a glass.

“Is this her?” Her mother cooed, looking into the carrier, “She’s beautiful; what is her name?”

“Izabella,” Sarah shrugged, “But I am going to have to change her name if I want to keep her safe.”

“Part of the long story you mentioned the other night?” Her mom turned her head until their eyes met.

“Yeah,” Sarah nodded.

“Can you at least tell me what happened to her parents?” Her mom inquired.

“They were murdered by some very bad men,” Sarah explained, “And there are other bad people who wanted me to get her for them. When I found out what they were up to, that they meant to take advantage of her, I took her and ran.”

“Are you planning on returning her to her family?”

“She doesn’t have any other family,” Sarah shook her head, “Her parents were both only children, and all her grandparents have long since passed away, she is the sole survivor of her family.”

“Poor thing,” Her mother cooed, “So what are you going to do? Are you going to raise her on your own?”

“I don’t know if I can,” Sarah sighed, “I mean with my life…”

“Do you want to keep her?” Her mother probed.

“I don’t know, maybe, sorta, I think….” Sarah stammered, “Yes, I think I do, but I don’t know how I can. I mean, I’m constantly on the move, never really anywhere for more than a few weeks. I know that Dad and I did the nomad thing for most of my life, but I was like seven or eight when we started doing that, I wasn’t an infant.”

“Maybe you can change jobs to one that doesn’t have you traveling as much?” Her mom suggested, “Maybe you could settle here, there are a few homes in the neighborhood for sale and some apartments nearby that are looking for tenants. At least if you stay around here, if you do need to go somewhere, I can watch her.”

“I don’t know, Mom,” Sarah groaned resting her head in her hands with her elbows propped on her knees. “I am so far out of my depth here. I’m so scared that if I do this, I’ll cause her more harm than good.”

“Sounds like you’ve already made up your mind,” Her mom gave her a knowing smile, “You sound like a parent already.”

“I guess,” Sarah shrugged as the baby started to fuss. She made quick work of releasing the safety straps and lifting the little girl to her.

“You seem to be getting better at that,” Her mom mused, “So we should probably start with the basics, what are you going to call her?”

“I’ve always liked the name Amalia,” Sarah mused, “I could call her Molly.”

“That’s a pretty name,” Her mother nodded, resting her hand on the back of the baby’s head “Hello, Molly, I’m your Grandma Emma. You know, she looks so much like you that no one is going to question her parentage; they’ll assume you became a mother the old-fashioned way. What are you going to say about her father if asked?”

“The truth,” Sarah shrugged, “That he died, no one needs to know any more than that.”

“I agree,” Emma nodded, “Will you ever tell her?”

“Eventually,” Sarah sighed, “Probably once she is a teenager, I’ll tell her everything, about how her parents died, how she came to be with me, and… about her inheritance. It is hers after all, she can use it for college or maybe someday for a wedding.”

“That sounds pretty thought out for someone who only just made the decision to adopt her,” Emma pointed out, causing Sarah to blush, knowing she’d been caught.

“Mom, we do have a not-so-small favor to ask of you,” Sarah gave her mother an unsure look, “I know it’s asking a lot, especially if anyone finds out about you, not that I expect them to, since I’ve changed my name so many times, anyone would be hard-pressed to trace me back to you. But do you mind if we stay here, at least until I can reach out to some of my contacts and get some documentation made for her? I also have to figure out what to do about everything else, work, my living situation…”

“Whatever you need, Sweetheart,” Emma ran her hand over her daughter’s hair, “Take all the time you need, the spare room is there for you to use and we can get a pack’n’play or something for Molly to sleep in.”

“Thanks, Mom, I’ll pay you rent.” Sarah’s shoulders sagged in relief, “Can you watch her while I bring in our things?”

“Sure,” Emma accepted the little girl into her arms, “You might want to start with the diaper bag. Little miss could really do with a change.”

“Sure,” Sarah smiled, standing and heading toward the front door.

“Oh, and Sam,” Her mom called out, “You’re not paying rent, welcome home.”

“It’s good to be home,” Sarah smiled and stepped out into the late morning sun to pull their meager possessions from the trunk and seats of the car.

~~~~~~~~~

It had been three long weeks since he’d flown in from Europe and no matter what he tried, he couldn’t get the images of Sam and Lisa out of his head. He didn’t know why, but there had been such a strong connection between them from the start, like they were meant to be in each other’s lives. He didn’t know what it was, fate, divine intervention, chance, or just plain dumb luck. Whatever it was, and despite knowing the adage about lightning striking twice, he still secretly hoped to meet them again one day. She did mention that she had family in LA, who knows, it could happen. He was broken from his thoughts as he entered the courtyard of the Echo Park complex that housed both his and his sister’s condos by a squeal off to his right followed by a flash of brunette hair diving for his person.

“Welcome home, little brother,” Ellie flung herself at her brother, who caught her with his free arm, the one that wasn’t currently trying to keep a million dollars’ worth of government spy tech from hitting the ground. “We’ve missed you. Was it really necessary to accept a contract that had you in Europe for the better part of the past few months?”

“Ellie,” Chuck gave her a small smile, “I’m an independent contractor, I have to go where the money is, and this time it was in Europe. At least the guy who hired me paid for my travel and lodging, even gave me a per diem to buy food. Not to mention the decent sized paycheck he gave me to boot, gets me a little closer to being able to get an office with actual partners and employees so that I don’t have to go out of town as much.”

“That would be nice.” Ellie mused, “Clara just went to bed a little bit ago, so you won’t be able to see her until morning and Devon is at the hospital. Why don’t you go drop your bags off at your place and come over for a glass of wine, so we can catch up.”

“You mean so you can prep me to set me up at the party you are throwing?” Chuck smirked.

“Chuck, it’s been five years since Jill dumped you like an old habit,” Ellie groaned, “The whole single guy thing is really getting ridiculous now. You need to meet someone, settle down, get married, maybe have a kid or two.”

“What’s with the sudden interest in my love life?” He chuckled, “It’s not like I’m some old spinster, I’m not even 27 years old yet, I have plenty of time to do that.”

“Not if you refuse to date!” Ellie protested loudly.

“A little louder, please,” Chuck hushed her, “I don’t think Mrs. Herskowitz upstairs heard you, and I do date, for your information.”

“But you haven’t had a serious relationship since college,” Ellie pointed out.

“Not everyone is like you, El,” Chuck shrugged, “We don’t all marry our college sweethearts. You were very lucky to find Captain Awesome.”

“I really hate that nickname,” Ellie groused.

“Yeah, well, he loves it,” Chuck countered, “So you might as well get over it, it’s been 6 years already.”

“Fine,” Ellie rolled her eyes, “Go drop off your stuff and come over, okay?”

Chuck watched his sister turn on her heel and head into the two-story townhouse that had been her home since she and Devon ‘Captain Awesome’ Woodcomb had married two years before. With a small shake of his head, he rounded the fountain that sat in the center of the courtyard and entered the smaller two-bedroom unit that he had taken over when Ellie and Devon moved out after their wedding. Hiding his spy life from her became infinitely easier once he had the apartment to himself, no more worrying that he would get a conference call from Director Graham when his sister was around. He just had to make sure that the feed was redirected to his bedroom from the living room if he knew Morgan was coming over for a game night.

Unlocking the door, he laid his laptop case on the kitchen table and sauntered down the hall to his room. He’d moved some of his things into the master bedroom once he had the apartment to himself, and redone his old room into a guest room, or a ‘Morgan room’ since that is where his buddy often crashed after a long night of gaming. While the room he now slept in was more ‘adult,’ with all the furniture in dark wood from the bedframe and head board, to the bedside tables, desk, and dresser. His bed was covered in a duvet with stripes of grey, black, and white with matching pillow cases. The computer that sat on his desk was top of the line, designed by Orion himself, with two monitors and a hidden third built into the wall to monitor surveillance around his and Ellie’s homes.

“Well this is certainly less embarrassing if you ever bring a girl home,” Ellie had proclaimed two years ago when she’d seen the new furnishings.

It had been a long few days of meetings, debriefing the CIA regarding his recent mission to Europe to track and eliminate a cyberterrorism network that spanned the lower half of the continent. Chuck had initially been recruited at Stanford by Professor Fleming after doing extremely well in a section of one of his courses having to do with encoded images and subliminal messages. The agency soon after found out that Chuck was the illusive Piranha that they’d been trying to track down for years and Graham had offered him a position as a ‘hybrid agent’ which essentially meant that Chuck was a glorified analyst who was also trained to perform as an operative in the field solo or with a small team. It was his hacking skills that made him uniquely qualified for the mission he’d just, successfully, completed.

Chuck shrugged off his suit jacket, laying it over the back of his desk chair as he walked toward the door that served as an additional access point to the large bathroom in the center of the apartment, loosening his tie as he went. He remembered when they had first moved into the apartment, Ellie had fallen in love with the deep tub that was never used now that she’d moved out. Wondering, idly, if anyone would ever use it again while he lived there, he turned on the shower and removed the rest of his clothes, dropping them in a hamper before stepping under the warm spray to wash off the travel grime that had seemed to linger since Rome.

Thinking of Rome, led to thinking of the excuse he made when he boarded his flight in Paris, and the young woman and baby with whom he’d shared a seat for the long mutual leg of their journeys. Wondering if she was still in the LA area, he rinsed the shampoo and soap from his body and stepped out of the shower cubicle, wrapping a towel around his waist. Catching his reflection in the foggy mirror, he couldn’t help but notice the small changes that had occurred to his body in the past several years.

He’d always been long and lean growing up, it wasn’t until his junior year of college, and their subsequent recruitment to the CIA, he began joining Bryce to work out. They’d run around campus, spent time in the fitness center lifting weights or doing resistance training, their friendship and competitive nature when it came to the two of them meant that they rarely missed a day in the gym, something that had continued even after they’d arrived at the farm the summer before and then into their senior year.

Slowly but surely, he’d began to notice the changes to his frame. His arms and shoulders had become more muscular, but never bulky, and he now sported a defined set of pecs and abs, that even his brother-in-law had commented on in the past when the pair had worked out together. Awesome had encouraged him to beef up his muscles a little more, but Chuck never really liked the muscle man look, content with the bit of definition that he currently sported.

Suddenly, the image of Sam, lips pressed against his as she ran her hands over him, her gentle fingers tracing patterns over the ridges and planes of his body as if memorizing each contour, flashed through his brain. He could almost feel the press of her soft curves against him, molding to him. He wondered if her body had softened with pregnancy. Would her body feel any different opposed to a woman who had never borne a child?

“What the frack is wrong with me?” Chuck groaned, shaking the image from his head, “You only just met the woman, you don’t even know where she lives or if she would be even remotely interested in you if you knew where to find her, let alone _that_!” He scolded himself, bracing his hands on the edges of the sink as he confronted his reflection, “You shouldn’t even be thinking about her that way, she’s a mother for God’s sake, you can’t think that way about a mother!”

_Then how do you explain your reaction to her?_ His brain chided him, causing him to growl at himself as he stalked back to his room to get dressed, reciting the elements of the periodic table until he had calmed himself enough to not look like some sex-crazed lunatic. It hadn’t even been that long since he’d been with a woman. He’d dated that Lou girl from the Deli near where Morgan worked at the Buy More for a little bit a few years ago, and then there was Hannah, but that wound up not working out either, with both of their jobs requiring heavy travel. There was no reason for him to react in such a visceral way to a girl, no a woman, he’d only known for 11 hours after meeting her on an airplane.

_She did give you her email address, so you could invite her to your sister’s shindig._ His traitorous mind prompted him. _You don’t have to wait for the party, you could always just ask her out on a date like a normal person._

“Assuming she’s still in town,” He grumbled to himself as he crossed the courtyard once more to visit with his sister. Shaking all tempting and traitorous thoughts of Sam Browne from his head, he knocked on his sister’s door before opening it and calling out to her. “Ellie?”

“I’m in the living room, Chuck,” She called back softly. She poured him a glass from the bottle of red she’d been sipping and curled up her legs to make room for him on the couch. “So how was your trip, aside from working for a man who clearly wouldn’t give you enough time off to call your own sister?”

“It was fine.” He shrugged, taking a sip of wine, “And it wasn’t that he had me working all the time, Elle. It’s just by the time I wrapped up my day it would have been too late or too early to have called you.”

“Uh huh,” Ellie nodded, disbelief evident in her voice as she took another mouthful of wine.

“So,” Chuck started, “Are you really going to try to pimp me out to your friends?”

“That is not what I am doing!” Ellie protested, “I just figured that with all the traveling you’ve been doing lately that it might be nice to have a get together with actual real adults. You know, grown-ups that work other places than the Buy More?”

“There is nothing wrong with working at the Buy More,” Chuck rolled his eyes, “Morgan is the assistant manager now, he’s not just some lowly sales clerk. Besides, I worked at the Palo Alto and Burbank Buy Mores throughout college.”

“Yes, but you moved on,” Ellie pointed out, “You got a life, a business of your own. I’m just trying to help you round out that life by introducing you to new people rather than having never ending Halo tournaments with the same two or three people. I only really ever see Morgan around you now, but never anyone else. Hell, I’d take Bryce over Morgan at this point, if anyone could match yours or Morgan’s nerd quotient it was him, but at least he’s a Stanford grad like you. Whatever happened to him anyway?”

“He went back to Connecticut, or something,” Chuck shrugged, “I think he’s an accountant for some big tech firm now.”

“Wasn’t he an Engineering major like you?” Ellie gave him an odd look.

“Yeah, but this place is making him work his way up before they allow him near the big kid toys,” Chuck shrugged. “I’ll probably run into him in a few years at the reunion, he’ll be a vice president of some division or other with a breathtakingly beautiful wife and the typical 2.5 kids and dog.”

“You put that much thought into his future, but none into your own?” Ellie challenged him, “Please can you just come to this get-together next week? I swear if you promise to come, I’ll let you celebrate your birthday the way you see fit on Sunday. Deal?”

“You drive a hard bargain,” Chuck swallowed the last of his wine, “Fine, deal, but I don’t want to hear you complain for at least a year or two if I don’t find Miss Right at this gathering of yours or in the near future.”

“Okay, fine,” Ellie huffed, “You know I’m only doing this because I’m worried about you.”

“I know,” Chuck assured her, rising to his feet, “And it’s not that I don’t appreciate it, but playing Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof in high school is about as close as I ever want to be to dealing with a matchmaker. I’m still a little jet lagged from my trip, I think I’m going to head home and get to bed.”

“Okay, fine I won’t play Yenta, but my friends are still coming,” Ellie rose to give him a hug, “Dinner is at 7 on Friday, bring wine.”

“Okay,” Chuck nodded, “I’ll see ya later. Love you, big sis.”

“Love you too, little brother,” Ellie followed him to the door and with one last smile, closed the door behind him before heading up to bed to get some sleep before Devon came home and Clara woke up.

~~~~~~~~~

Between work for both his cover job and doing routine analysis work for his real job at the CIA, Sunday came on faster than Chuck had anticipated. Before he knew it, he was battling it out on Call of Duty with Morgan perched on the couch beside him. Empty Pizza boxes as well as empty grape soda cans and beer bottles littered the coffee table before them. They’d just finished fragging a fresh set of newbs when Chuck let out a huge yawn.

“I don’t think I can keep this up any longer,” Chuck groaned, rubbing his eyes with one hand while still manipulating the game controller with the other, “I’m sorry, Buddy. I guess I’m not over my jet lag yet.”

“It’s no problem, Chuck,” Morgan shrugged, getting to the next save point and pausing the game, “You’ve been Charles Bartowski, intrepid world traveler for the past several months, it’s understandable if you are a bit jet lagged from your last trip.”

“Thanks, man,” Chuck patted his buddy on the shoulder, not noticing the slight wince on his friend’s face. There were times Chuck forgot his own strength and patted his best childhood friend a little rougher than he ought to. He quickly gathered the pizza boxes and empty grape soda cans and beer bottles from the coffee table and threw them away.

“Hey, do you mind if I sleep in the Morgan room tonight?” Morgan looked up, “I have an early shift in the morning and Big Mike thought tonight might be a good night to take Mom out for a nice dinner since I’d be here, which means when they get back… well, you know.”

The two men suppressed a shiver at the thought of Morgan’s mom and step-dad’s post-date activities, “No problem, there’s clean sheets on the bed, you know where the towels are. Good night.”

“Good night,” Morgan echoed, watching Chuck shuffle down the hallway before returning to play through a few more missions before bed.

Shutting the bedroom door behind him, Chuck activated the secure room noise dampening as he did every night before bed. Booting up the computer, he went through his usual routine of checking for mission briefings and intel that might be of use and checked the security of Echo Park. He was waiting for some new intelligence to download for later analysis while he changed into his pajamas when he heard the alert of a new email on his secure server.

“Bryce?” Chuck murmured, opening the email, “What are you up to now?” The screen went blank save for six words, _The terrible troll raises his sword. _Chuck recognized the line from the version of Zork he and Bryce had created, racking his brain for the correct response, he typed in _Attack terrible troll with nasty knife._ After that the screen went blank and a series of images flickered over the screen in rapid succession.

Chuck must have blacked out because when he awoke, the sun was just peeking through the blinds. He found himself laying on the floor as if he’d just fallen back. Turning his head, he thanked his lucky stars he hadn’t landed a few centimeters to the right or else he would have smacked his head on the heavy wood footboard of his bed. Rubbing his head to check for injuries, he groaned. _What happened last night? We didn’t drink more than a few beers, certainly not enough to cause a hangover_, he mused his head throbbing with a headache that had settled right behind his eyes.

He slowly sat up, and made his way to the bathroom, disarming the secure room dampeners long enough to stumble to the medicine cabinet and shake out a small handful of painkillers before stumbling back to his room to try to figure out what happened.

When he reached his computer, he groaned. Something had fried his hard drive, he would have to get a new one, that requisition request wouldn’t be fun to fill out. At least he still had the laptop as a backup. Hoping he could redownload the intel on to the portable computer, Chuck wandered into the living room to retrieve his laptop bag.

“Morning, Chuck,” Morgan greeted him brightly from where he sat at the kitchen table eating fruit loops, “Would you like some breakfast?”

“No thanks,” Chuck shook his head, “My head is pounding, I think I’m just gonna go back to bed for a bit. Lock up when you go.”

“Will do, Buddy,” Morgan nodded, making a mental note to bring up moving in next time he saw Chuck. He couldn’t keep living with his mom and step-dad, especially since their room and his shared a wall. The noises he heard from that room were enough to give him nightmares for years.

Making sure the power cord was plugged in, Chuck reactivated the secure room dampeners, turning his room once again in to an oversized faraday cage with nicer furnishings. He settled onto his bed, leaned back against the stack of pillows lining his headboard and booted up the laptop. It didn’t take long to recover the files he’d downloaded the night before. By the time he’d finished reviewing the file and sent his report into Langley, his head was throbbing worse than before, and he could no longer stare at a computer screen, so he set the laptop on the bedside table and, curling up under his sheets and duvet, drifted off into a restless sleep.

~~~~~~~~~

Sarah had just settled Molly down for her afternoon nap when her phone started ringing. The ring was one exclusively reserved for her director. Closing the door behind her and checking that her mother was truly out of the house, Sarah set up her laptop on the dining room table.

“Director?” She greeted the older man who had recruited her nearly nine years before.

“Agent Walker,” He responded in his usual terse manner, “Are you enjoying your vacation?”

“Yes, sir,” She nodded.

“I know your vacation was a long time coming,” The director acknowledged, “However, I have intel of a sensitive nature that I thought would be better coming from me directly.”

“Let me guess,” Sarah braced herself, “You need me to cut my vacation short.”

“That depends on a few variables,” The director countered, “What do you know about Project Omaha?”

“Not a lot, just that it was the project that Agent Larkin was tied to before he was partnered with me,” Sarah shrugged, “Some kind of intelligence gathering think tank?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Director Graham acknowledged, “Project Omaha was a joint CIA/NSA information pooling database called the Intersect. The goal was to have a central location for all intelligence from both agencies so as to avoid another 9/11 from happening.”

“Seems like a worthwhile project,” Sarah nodded, “I’m guessing there is more?”

“Agent Larkin was one of a handful of agents that was initially being slated to be able to upload the intersect once it was completed.” Graham continued, “Not that any of them were aware that was the goal, they thought that they were just analyzing intelligence that was being fed into the computer.”

“’Upload?’” Sarah questioned, “Like onto a hand-link?”

“No, the goal was to upload the information into the brain using a series of encoded images,” Graham tapped his temple, “The creator, a scientist code named Orion, felt that the Intersect was too dangerous to be uploaded into the human brain and insisted we pull the plug, especially when he found out about the identity of Larkin and one other potential Intersect agent. The project was shut down and Agent Larkin and the rest of the potential Intersect agents were sent into various analytic and field operations.”

“Let me guess, despite this Orion’s warnings, development on the Intersect still continued,” Sarah raised a knowing eyebrow at the director, knowing that she was toeing the line bordering on insubordination.

“In that you would be correct.” Graham acknowledged, “Agent Larkin found out, somehow, about everything. Yesterday, he went rogue, stole the Intersect program, and destroyed the upload device. He was killed by NSA Agent John Casey as he tried to escape the facility, but not before sending the program to another Intersect participant.”

“Do you think this other agent was in on this?”

“We don’t know,” Graham shrugged, “That’s what we are trying to figure out. Ironically enough, we believe Larkin was sent on this fool’s errand by none other than Orion himself, but we can’t be sure who all was in on it. Which brings me to why I interrupted your vacation.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“How soon can you get to LA?” Graham inquired.

“I’m in Pasadena right now.” Sarah acknowledged, “But you already knew that.”

“Agent Walker, I know that there have been some… changes… in your life.” Graham gave her a pointed look.

“Director, there is no need to blackmail me,” Sarah narrowed her eyes, “Just tell me what you need me to do.”

“We need you to reach out to an Agent Carmichael,” The director continued, “Find out what he knows. We always intended a full agent to accompany the Intersect agents once the upload was complete. You are one of the best agents we have, and it has the added benefit of allowing you to reduce the amount of traveling you are required to do as Agent Carmichael is a hybrid agent based out of the LA area.”

“Send me his information and I’ll see what I can do,” Sarah accepted, the unspoken ‘thank you’ hidden in her words, “How do you want me to play this? Are we thinking seduction until he trusts me enough to tell me or do I play this straight?”

“I will leave that up to you,” Graham advised, “I will send his contact information to your secure line shortly. As always, caution is advised in this matter.”

“Understood, Director,” Sarah nodded, “I will let you know what I find out once I make contact.”

Sarah ended the video conference, closed her laptop, and sagged against the back of her chair with a huff of breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Her first mission after officially adopting Molly a couple days before, thanks to some trusted sources within the government who fast tracked the process of declaring Molly a foundling and approving Sarah’s adoptive parent application. Her phone chimed once more, the message that appeared simply had a name and an address in Burbank.

Checking once more to make sure Molly was still sleeping, Sarah quickly dialed the number for her mother’s cell phone praying that she’d dismissed her students for the day. “Hey mom? I need a favor, what are you doing tomorrow night?”


	3. Chapter 3

The night of Ellie’s party came faster than he would have liked, but a deal was a deal. Chuck was just about to pull on his shirt when he heard the knock at his front door. With a sigh, he headed toward the living room, slipping his arms through the sleeves as he went. “Ellie, I am not twelve years old, I am perfectly capable of getting ready to be at your place by seven,” He huffed, pulling open the door, “This is really… Sam!”

Sarah looked at Chuck, who hastily buttoned up his shirt, but not before she caught a glimpse of well-defined pecs and abs. Ignoring the twinge in her own stomach, she shook off her shock.

“I, erm,” Chuck stammered, having a harder time accepting the woman on his front step was more than a mirage, “What are you doing here? I’m sorry I didn’t send you the email about my sister’s thing, my computer crashed the other day and I haven’t been able to find time to fix it. I didn’t have any other way to get a hold of you.” Chuck rambled as Sarah tried not to smile at him affectionately at the newly discovered nervous tick. This man standing before her, did not seem like the same quick thinking, charming, man she met a few weeks before on the flight over from Paris.

“Where are my manners? Please come in; can I get you something to drink, water, coffee, soda, beer? I’d offer wine, but I’m fairly certain I only have the one bottle and that’s meant for my sister’s dinner, and I…” He finally caught himself as Sarah stepped passed him and into the living room, “Hi, how are you? How’s Lisa?”

“Molly,” Sarah corrected gently, “I named her Molly. Lisa was just a name for the passport to get her out of the country without being traced… but that’s not why I’m here.”

“Then why is it that you come to me on this, the night of my sister’s dinner party,” Chuck impersonated the Godfather, admittedly badly, before chuckling nervously when Sarah didn’t react to the joke.

“Agent Carmichael,” Sarah stood straighter, deciding that being direct with him was the best way to go, “My name is Special Agent Sarah Walker of the CIA, Langston Graham sent me.”

“You’re CIA?” Chuck’s eyes fluttered a few times, his face contorting like he’d seen a bright light and tasted something sour at the same time. A moment later, his face relaxed and he sighed before he collapsed on his couch looking up at her “You’re CIA. Wow… I wasn’t expecting that… Can I just say that Sarah fits you better than Sam does? You don’t look like a Sam.”

“Agent Carmichael,” Sarah continued, not acknowledging his side comment as she took a seat beside him but leaving a cushion width between them, “Did you receive an email from Agent Larkin in the past 72 hours?”

“Yeah,” Chuck shrugged, “Bryce sent me an email for my birthday, can’t remember much about it other than it had a line from the version of Zork we’d made in college, after that it’s a little hazy. All I remember after is that I woke up yesterday morning with a hangover and no recollection of drinking. What is this about?”

“Do you remember Project Omaha?” Sarah inquired watching as the sour taste/bright light look rushed over his face again.

“Project Omaha,” Chuck recited, “Top secret government project, collaboration between the CIA and NSA. Combined intelligence database intended to eventually be uploaded into the human brai… _Oh my GOD_!” Chuck exclaimed, realizing what he was saying. Sarah watched as he paced in front of her, running his fingers through his, now slightly longer, hair, causing his curls to stand on end, “You mean to tell me Bryce sent me that thing? It’s in my brain? I mean, of course it’s in my brain, how else would I know all that about it? They didn’t tell us that was the goal before the project was mothballed!”

“Agent Carmichael,” Sarah stood and crossed to stand before him, “Please focus. Did you have any previous knowledge that Agent Larkin was going to go rogue and send you the Intersect before destroying the console?”

“No,” Chuck shook his head dejectedly, it took all of Sarah’s will to not wrap her arms around his waist and pull him close to comfort him, despite how her fingers itched to trace the tension from his back. “I had no previous knowledge. What do I do now? I’m guessing Graham wants me on the next plane to DC so that we can deal with Bryce.”

Sarah stilled a moment, but not before Chuck noticed, “What? Am I missing something?”

“Agent Larkin was shot by John Casey the same night he sent the Intersect to you. He’s in critical condition at Bethesda.” Sarah informed him, “His prognosis isn’t good. I’m sorry, I know he was a friend.”

“He was,” Chuck nodded, “So what now?”

“Well until we can figure out a way to get the Intersect out of your head, I have been assigned to you.” Sarah shrugged.

“Sam… er, Sarah,” Chuck corrected, “I don’t need a handler. I’ve done just fine the past five years without one. I’m a full-fledged, badge-carrying, agent, trusted with dozens of solo missions and teams who reported to me in both analytical and field ops.”

“Agent Carmichael…”

“Chuck,” He sighed, “Please, with everything that has happened, I need something to be normal; please, call me Chuck.”

“Very well, Chuck,” Sarah gave him a small smile, “The Intersect is a relative unknown, we don’t know the long-term effects of the program on the human brain. Until we can remove it or more research can be found, the CIA and NSA have asked that a field agent be assigned to you as your partner, not your handler, just to make sure you’re safe.”

“You mean to keep the general populous safe from me,” Chuck snorted indignantly. “Fine, how are we going to go forward with this?”

“Well for one, your request to head an analytical team here in LA has been approved,” Sarah started, “The agency will be scouting office locations for Carmichael CyberSecurity to operate out of.”

“What about us?” Chuck asked, his eyes meeting hers, seemingly peering directly into her soul as if her eyes held all the answers.

“What _about_ us?” Sarah responded, “We’re colleagues, partners…”

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Chuck spoke softly, his hands reaching out to her, his long fingers wrapping gently around her biceps. “I have a feeling we are going to be seeing a lot of each other, and we need to have some reason for that.”

“Like me being your personal assistant?” Sarah suggested, deliberately ignoring his meaning.

“No,” Chuck shook his head, “That wouldn’t give you enough access to me. I was thinking more along the lines of getting to know each other better.” He inched closer, his voice lowering sexily, “If you catch my drift.”

“Dating?” Sarah looked at him, trying to tamp down the nerves that fluttered in her stomach at his closeness, “Are you sure that’s really a good idea or are you just suggesting it to get Ellie off your back?”

“I won’t deny it does have that added benefit,” Chuck shrugged casually.

_ I bet he doesn’t even know how incredibly sexy he makes that look,_ Sarah thought to herself as Chuck continued.

“Call me selfish, but I think it would help us both out in a variety of ways. It would explain why we are around each other so often outside of work, it will give Molly a stable male influence in her life -not that you asked me to fill that role but consider this my offer to do just that - I admit the prospect of Ellie not pestering me about my love life will be a nice benefit. But when you get down to it, I really, honestly, do want to get to know you, and Molly, better.” His expressively warm hazel eyes met hers as she made a conscious effort to not swoon in his arms. “I mean, it _was_ the reason I asked for your email in the first place.”

“Chuck…” Sarah started.

“What?” Chuck rubbed his thumbs over the swell of her biceps making shivers run down her spine at the sensation, “Are you afraid that we won’t be able to pull it off? Because I gotta tell you, I think we have a good foundation to make this a pretty easy cover. I mean, we get along, your kid loves me, and we do seem to have good chemistry. Granted you are _way_ out of my league…”

“That is just the problem,” Sarah stepped back and took a deep breath, trying to get a hold of herself as she walked across the room away from the window, not trusting herself to look at him. “Not that I’m out of your league, because, trust me, I’m not. I like you, too, maybe a little too much. I mean if you were just a typical guy, a normal, sweet, kind, charming, computer consultant and I was just a flustered single mom who happened to catch your eye one afternoon, I think that those two people would be able to make it work, but… Chuck, there is too much at stake here. I can’t protect you if…”

“Who says I need protection?” Chuck challenged, his long legs carrying him to stand beside her, “What I need is a partner, more so the better, in my opinion, if it has layered meaning. In my experience, having skin in the game makes you fight harder.”

“It also can compromise your judgement,” Sarah countered softly, “I’m already compromised enough with Molly.”

“Somehow I don’t think that will be a problem,” Chuck shook his head, “How about this, we take it slow and if it doesn’t wind up working out personally or professionally, no harm no foul, we just request that I be reassigned. If it does work out as well as, or better than I’m hoping it will, we can decide what to do then. I’m not saying we’ll be the next gen Agents Turner, but we’ll never know if we don’t try.”

Sarah stood silently, she could see people trickling into the courtyard through the window opposite them, mostly women and a few men, and knocking on the door of the townhome belonging to the Woodcombs. She’d been overwhelmed, brain working on overdrive since the moment Chuck opened the door to her. If she were being honest with herself she’d be able to admit she’d been in the same state since they met on the plane from Paris, him pretending to be her harried and much-delayed husband. She had to admit, despite herself, he was right; having a relationship as their cover was a good idea. “Okay,” She whispered.

“’Okay?’” Chuck echoed, his eyes searching her face for and indication of where her head was at.

“Okay, your suggestion of a cover, it’s good,” She turned to face him, “But you’re right, we should take this slow. Ease your sister into it, it’ll be a little suspicious if you suddenly have a serious girlfriend.”

“How is this for a backstory; I met you and Molly at Buy More a week or so ago,” Chuck mused, “And after taking Molly to the park and getting to know you two a little bit, I invited you for dinner?”

“Dinner with the family is a little serious for two people who just met,” Sarah countered.

“Trust me, Ellie won’t think so,” Chuck shrugged, “She’ll just be happy that I met someone.”

“If you say so,” Sarah shrugged, “Can I ask you a small favor, though?”

“What’s that?” Chuck cocked his head a small smile on his lips.

“Could you please just call me Sarah?” She blushed, “It has been my name longer than any other I’ve had. Samantha Lisa Novak may have been the name I was born with, but Sarah Walker is who I am now.”

“I can definitely do that,” Chuck nodded and gave her a warm smile.

“Thank you,” Sarah relaxed, offering her hand, “So partners?”

Chuck batted her hand away and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist, “If we are going to sell this, you’re going to have to get used to being in physical contact with me,” He reminded her, “Besides I don’t think a handshake was quite enough to cement our partnership.”

Sarah couldn’t help but smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck, thankful that, with her heeled boots, she was able to rest her head on his shoulder, “Physical contact? What exactly do you have in mind Mister Carmichael?”

“Bartowski, I wasn’t lying about that on the plane,” Chuck corrected her before an impish smile eased its way onto his lips, “And if you play your cards right, Miss Walker, I just might hold your hand as I escort you to your car at the end of the night. I may even kiss you on the cheek if you’re really lucky.”

“Be still my heart. You have yourself a deal,” Sarah grinned, taking a small step back, her hands resting on Chuck’s strong shoulders while his fingers traced seductive circles where they rested on her sides. “What time is this thing again?”

“Seven…” Chuck looked at his watch and groaned, “Which was fifteen minutes ago. Well might as well get this over with,” He quickly turned and grabbed the bottle of wine from the kitchen table.

“Just what every woman wants to hear,” Sarah teased, her eyes following his movements around the apartment as he continued on to grab his wallet and keys, when he turned back to her, she couldn’t help but snicker, “Hold it, before we go, we need to do something about this whole situation,” She gestured to his shirt.

“What’s wrong with it?” He gave her a quizzical look before looking down at the dark green button-down oxford shirt he wore, “Bad color on me or something?”

“No, really good color, honestly, you should wear it more often,” Sarah smiled as she stepped toward him, taking the bottle from his hand and setting it back down on the table, “But if we want your sister to believe we’re taking things slow, it might be helpful to not look like we just had sex.”

For a minute, Sarah thought she’d broken Chuck from the wide eyed, blank expression on his face as she moved closer to him. “All that flirting and _that _is what stops you in your tracks?” She smiled up at him.

Chuck just stood, staring at her mutely.

“Stay here,” Sarah directed him, leaving him nodding at her like an idiot as she stepped around him and into the kitchen. He heard the sound of the faucet being turned on and then off again, “Lean down a bit,” Sarah instructed him, smiling as he did as he was told. She ran her fingers, which were damp from the sink through his hair, taming his curls into something more sexily rumpled than rumpled by sex. Once he’d stood up to his full height, she slowly began unbuttoning his shirt. “You were in such a rush to button your shirt when you saw me, some of the buttons are in the wrong holes, and your hair was kinda a mess from you playing with it.”

“Why Miss Walker, if you wanted to see me naked, you just had to ask,” Chuck drawled, snapping out of his stupor, a sexy grin gracing his lips.

“Truly, you are an enigma,” Sarah shook her head.

“I aim to keep you guessing,” He shrugged, “Adds to the mystery that is Charles Irving Bartowski.”

“Good to know,” Sarah smiled up at him as she rebuttoned his shirt, leaving the top button undone, revealing his throat and just a peak of the dusting of hair on his lightly tanned chest. She had to restrain herself from lifting up on her toes and kissing the side of his Adam’s apple just to see what he tasted like, instead she turned her focus to the sleeves of his shirt, rolling them half-way up his forearm, “Unfortunately, we both need to be on our best behavior tonight.”

“Drat, there goes my plan to seduce you into my bed,” He pulled her closer, his hands resting lightly on her hips as hers settled on his chest.

“Behave, my babysitter charges by the hour,” Sarah teased, patted his chest, “And she trades in gossip on her daughter’s love life. I would hate for you to become the topic of discussion so soon.”

“Okay, best behavior it is,” Chuck sighed dramatically dropping his hands to pick up the bottle of wine instead. He’d taken a few steps toward the door before turning back to Sarah, “Sarah,” His voice soft as his eyes looked her over from the pale lavender blouse to the grey pencil skirt and black heeled boots, “I know I didn’t say it earlier, but you look lovely tonight.”

Sarah couldn’t stop the blush rising to her cheeks, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” He smiled softly, offering his arm to her as she slid her hand to rest just inside his elbow, “Let’s get this show on the road.”

~~~~~~~~~

As they stepped up to the large wooden door of Ellie and Devon’s apartment, Sarah let her hand slip from Chuck’s elbow, steeling herself for meeting his sister and brother-in-law.

“Breathe,” Chuck whispered, neither knowing if he meant it for just her or the both of them.

Sarah just nodded as Chuck raised his hand and hesitated before knocking, “Oh one more thing you should know. My brother-in-law is Awesome.”

“I’m sure I’ll like him, then,” Sarah assured her date.

“I mean I call him Awesome, Ellie hates it,” Chuck snickered, “But everything he does from rock climbing, to rafting, performing open heart surgery, even flossing is Awesome… You’ll see in a moment.”

“Noted,” Sarah smirked as Chuck knocked on the door only to have it fling open a moment later. She couldn’t help but notice the similarities between Chuck and the woman who stood before her. It was clear that this was Ellie, Chuck’s sister and their host for the evening.

“You’re late,” She scolded lightly, not noticing Sarah at first, “I brought all my friends to meet you and you’re late.”

“Hello to you too, Elle,” Chuck rolled his eyes good naturedly before turning his gaze to Sarah, “I am sorry about my late arrival, but I think I had a pretty good excuse. Ellie, I would like you to meet Sarah.”

“Sarah?” Ellie’s gaze slowly tracked from her brother to the blonde woman who stood beside him. Chuck’s older sister slowly sized up the woman, with her heeled boots, she was just under a half a head shorter than Chuck, making her an inch or two taller than Ellie. She had never seen the woman before, it was almost as if she had appeared out of thin air, “You brought a friend.”

“Yes, I brought a friend,” Chuck shrugged, “I figured one more couldn’t hurt.”

“You brought a friend… who’s a girl.” Ellie stammered, still shocked that her brother had shown up late, and with a girl, no a woman, because that is clearly what she was.

“I figured you’d catch that,” Chuck grinned, “Can we come in now or are you going to make us eat in the courtyard? We brought wine.” He held up the bottle as proof, waving it by its neck from side to side.

“Oh, yeah, right, come in,” Ellie shook her head before calling to her husband, “Devon! Grab another plate and the spare chair from the office, Chuck brought a friend with him!”

“Sure Babe,” Came a baritone voice from the kitchen, “Just let me pull the roast out of the oven first.”

The sound of a pan scraping against the oven rack then being set down on a glass-top range could be heard from the kitchen before a tall man with tan skin and light brown hair, who was built like a football player, quickly made his way down the hall and ducked into what Sarah assumed was the office.

Sarah half listened to Ellie as she introduced her co-workers and their respective significant others. Some Ellie had known in medical school, some she met at work, the single women all clearly there for Chuck’s benefit. Sarah couldn’t help but notice how the single women gave Chuck more than a few good once overs, licking their lips like a hungry man staring at a steak, as Chuck stood there awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with the attention he was receiving.

_ He wasn’t kidding about this being a set-up,_ Sarah mused, barely repressing the urge to wrap her arms around Chuck’s waist and curl into him possessively before his brother-in-law returned with the requested chair.

“Hey Bro,” The man who was the embodiment of the California beach bod guy, but with intelligent blue eyes, grinned at Chuck before turning his head to take in the blonde who stood beside him. “Ellie said you had brought someone with you.”

“Devon, this is Sarah,” Chuck introduced them, “Sarah meet Dr. Devon ‘Captain Awesome’ Woodcomb.”

“That’s not his name,” Ellie protested.

“Babe, it’s okay, I really don’t mind,” Devon chuckled, rounding the table and clapping Chuck on the back before extending his hand to greet Sarah. “It’s nice to meet you, Sarah. Welcome to our home.”

“Nice to meet you too, Devon,” Sarah smiled up at the tall man, “Dinner smells delicious.”

“Thank you,” Devon gave her an easy smile, “Speaking of, I should probably get it on the table. Chuck, do you think you could tear yourself away to assist?”

“Sure,” Chuck shrugged, “I’ll be right back.” He promised before following Devon into the kitchen.

“Chuck, my man!” Awesome crowed quietly, giving his younger brother-in-law a soft high five, “I couldn’t believe it when Ellie said you’d brought someone with you. A hot someone at that, I mean muy caliente my friend. That’s awesome!”

Chuck pretended he didn’t hear Sarah snicker from the living room at Devon’s enthusiasm. “Thanks, we met about the time Ellie roped me into this glorified meat market, so I figured if she’s going to try to auction me off to the highest bidder, I might as well have some input on the potential bidders.” Chuck gave his brother-in-law a pointed look, “Sarah and I spent some time together the other day, we hit it off, and decided to get to know each other better. I figured in the guise of full-transparency, it would be a good idea to bring her along to show Ellie that I’m okay.”

“You know Ellie just worries about you.” Devon countered, slicing the roast on the plate while Chuck set about opening a couple bottles of red on the opposite counter.

“I know,” Chuck conceded, “But she really doesn’t need to, I’m a grown man, I can manage my own life and relationships. I know her heart is in a good place, but when it comes to this kind of stuff, I’d rather just let things happen than to force it, you know?”

“I feel ya, Bro,” Devon nodded, hefting the platter of roast and vegetables into his hands and headed toward the dining room, Chuck following with the bottles of wine, “Can I just say that you look happier with Sarah here? I think that’s pretty awesome.”

“I think so too,” Chuck grinned looking at Sarah who glanced over her shoulder and gave him a small smile from where she stood talking to the women around her, “Very awesome.”

“Alright everyone, dinner is served,” Devon announced. The group of adults made their way to the table.

Chuck caught the approving smile that Ellie sent his way as he pulled Sarah’s chair out for her, it was clear that she was pleased that her lessons in etiquette had stuck. Both CIA agents were aware they were being, not so subtly, watched through out the dinner, catching small looks that Ellie and her husband exchanged, that Ellie sent toward her brother, and the looks that Ellie’s single friends sent both Sarah and Chuck’s way.

“So, Sarah,” Ellie finally spoke up, “How did you and Chuck meet? I mean it must have not been too long ago since he hasn’t mentioned anyone until literally an hour ago.”

“Ellie,” Chuck warned his sister, nearly growling at her.

“It’s okay, Chuck,” Sarah placed her hand gently on his forearm and gave him a small smile to assure him that she had this. “We met a week or so ago, at the Buy More, when I was shopping for a sound machine. I normally would have gone to the one in Pasadena, but they didn’t have the specific model I was looking for, so I wound up calling around and, lo and behold, the Burbank Buy More did!”

“What kind were you looking for?” Devon piped in.

“The Marpac Dohm sound machine,” Sarah shrugged, sticking as close to the truth as she could since she did have to buy a sound machine for Molly the other day to help the girl sleep, “I was so focused on finding the stupid thing that I ran, literally, into Chuck. I was clearly frazzled, and he took it upon himself to be my champion and help me locate what I was looking for.” She gave him an adoring smile.

“It helps that nothing has really moved in the 5 years since I used to work there,” Chuck shrugged humbly.

“So, Pasadena, is that where you are from?” Ellie asked.

“Yes and no,” Sarah shrugged, “I was born here in L.A. but after my parents split up, I stayed with my father who moved around a lot for work. Eventually, his work brought us back to California for the last year and a half of high school. Wound up graduating from James Buchannan High in San Diego before moving back East for college.”

“Where back East?” Ellie probed.

“Cambridge,” Sarah replied calmly, taking a bite of the roast that Devon had made and a sip of her wine while Ellie processed the information.

“Chuck,” Devon looked at his brother-in-law approvingly, “You didn’t say you bagged an Ivy Leaguer, that’s very awesome.”

“Why is that surprising?” Chuck countered, “I graduated summa cum laude from Stanford University which, may I remind you, is on-par academically with Harvard University and would be considered Ivy League were it in the same athletic conference.”

“Wow, so Harvard,” Ellie started in again, “Tell me about it.”

“It was nice,” Sarah shrugged, “The winters were unbearably cold, though, give me a temperature of 73 year-round any day. There really isn’t much to say, I went to class, studied, graduated.”

“She’s being modest,” Chuck gave Sarah a small smile, “She graduated magna cum laude with a major in linguistics and speaks nine languages fluently, not including English.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being with a woman who’s smarter than you, Bro,” Devon gave the pair a grin before shooting a proud look to his wife, “I should know.”

“So, what brought you back out here to California, Sarah?” Ellie continued her interrogation.

“Ellie,” Chuck gave his sister a look that clearly was meant as ‘back off,’ which Ellie ignored, looking at Sarah expectantly.

Giving Chuck a grateful look, Sarah turned back to Ellie, “A variety of reasons,” Sarah shrugged easily, “The international firm I was working with had to shut down and I was laid off. My mom offered to let my daughter and me live with her until I could get back on my feet again.”

“You have a daughter?” Ellie eyed her skeptically.

“You should see her Elle,” Chuck gushed, “She is one of the cutest little girls I’ve ever seen, aside from Clara, of course. Curly blonde hair and the biggest blue eyes, I mean we’re gonna be in trouble when she is a teenager.”

“How old is she?” Ellie turned her eye back to Sarah as if evaluating her for signs of a recent pregnancy.

“Four months,” Sarah smiled, “Molly is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.”

“Four months, huh?” Ellie frowned slightly, “That’s not very old, what happened to her father? He run out on you, or was it a one-night stand?”

“Ellie!” “Babe!” Came the tandem protests from Chuck and Devon, both staring wide eyed at the woman.

“He was murdered,” Sarah spoke calmly before pushing back from the table, “Will you excuse me for a moment, please? I have to check in with my babysitter.”

Chuck rose and made to follow Sarah out the door, only to turn back to his sister and shake his head disgustedly at her behavior, “Ellie, that was completely uncalled for!” Chuck tried to keep his voice at a moderate tone, “How or why Sarah became a single mother is none of your concern. You didn’t give her much of a chance with that interrogation of yours.”

“I’m just trying to protect you, Chuck,” Ellie tried to defend herself, rising from her chair to stand before her brother, “I’ve seen men pulled into honeytraps like this and it ruin their lives. I don’t want you to throw away your life taking care of someone else’s kid.”

“Like you did with me?” Chucks voice dropped dangerously low, arms crossed over his chest, eyes not even meeting his sister’s. “This is my decision to make, I don’t need your protection. I am a grown man and perfectly capable of taking care of myself; have been for years now.”

“You know that’s not what I mean,” Ellie sighed, “The situation was different, you were a junior in high school, and Dad didn’t want to disrupt you so close to graduation when he had to go away for work.”

“Then what do you mean?”

“You have to admit it’s awful convenient,” Ellie insisted, “I mean, a single mother, recently out of work, just happens to run into and spark the interest of, one of the most eligible bachelors outside of Silicon Valley. She’s using you.”

“Using me?!” Chuck scoffed, “For what? I’m a tech consultant with a company made up of exactly one employee, me. Trust me, I am no Daddy Warbucks. And for your information, because of Molly, it took a lot of convincing to get her to agree to spend any time with me, let alone come to this dinner. I really like her, and I really want to see where this is going, but no thanks to you, I don’t know if she’s ever going to want to see me again after tonight.”

“Chuck,” Ellie reached out for him.

“Don’t,” Chuck stepped back from her, “Just don’t. You’ve done enough.” Turning on his heel, Chuck left the townhouse, slamming the door behind him.

As he left, he could hear Devon chastising his wife, “Not awesome, Babe, not awesome,” and could just about see the older man standing, arms crossed against his broad chest, rare scowl on his face as he shook his head in disappointment at Ellie’s behavior.

It didn’t take long to find Sarah sitting on the fountain ledge, cell phone pressed against her ear, the elbow of her other arm resting on her knee while her hand propped up her head.

“She went down okay?” Sarah was asking quietly, “You sang her song to her and everything? …Yes, I know this isn’t your first time putting a baby to sleep. …Yeah, okay, okay. …It didn’t really go as planned tonight, I may be heading home soon. …No, nothing like that, it’s just I didn’t realize how much I would miss her after only a few hours. …I know, I love you too.” Chuck watched as she closed her flip phone and sighed, resting her head on both hands and leaning over.

“You know I can feel you watching me,” She repeated his words from the plane to him, her voice slightly muffled behind her hands, “It’s flattering but more than a little creepy.”

“Are you okay?” Chuck took a seat beside her, wrapping an arm over her shoulder and kissing her temple. “I am so sorry.”

“Do they know about her in Gitmo?” Sarah’s joke fell about as flat and hollow as the small laugh that followed. “I mean, she could get the worst Iranian terrorist to crack.”

“She had no right to judge you without knowing all the facts,” Chuck shook his head at his sister’s behavior. “You shouldn’t have had to deal with that on top of everything else you have going on in your life right now. Did you know she actually thought you were trying to honeytrap me?”

“If the CIA had its way, I would have,” Sarah chuckled humorlessly, “Graham told me to use whatever method I thought would work, but we all know his preferred approach for female agents to take is seduction.”

“Yes, because we all know how much of a waste of time that would have been,” Chuck rolled his eyes.

“You know, I was actually fully prepared to do just that,” Sarah shrugged, “And then you opened the door and you were, well, you, and I couldn’t do it.”

“Well I appreciate that,” Chuck nodded, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Sarah took a deep breath, “I don’t know why I let her get to me like that. I mean I’ve never cracked like that on an assignment, but for some reason your sister…”

“Ellie has a way of doing that,” Chuck nodded, “Targeting a weakness with pin-point accuracy. She’s like an emotional-trigger sharp shooter; she could probably make that emotionless NSA automaton, John Casey, cry.”

“Yeah, probably,” Sarah scoffed, “I know I shouldn’t take what she said to heart, I know that, professionally, this is just a cover, but…”

“You still wanted to make a good impression,” Chuck finished for her, nodding in agreement, “I think we both know this is more than professional, Sarah.”

“But it shouldn’t be more than that,” Sarah whispered, “This is why I resisted when you suggested us dating as a cover.”

“You may have a point,” Chuck nodded, looking down at her, “But I happen to believe we should fight for what we want. And, I gotta tell ya, I want you, and I don’t mean just sexually, I agree it’s a little soon for that, and I’m willing to wait until the time is right for us to take that step. I want all of you, quirks, kid, baggage and all; call me your own personal baggage handler.” Chuck took a deep breath, “I know that might seem a little heavy considering we only just met a short time ago. But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, and about Molly. I want you in my life, my partner in whatever capacity the situation calls for, at the very least as a friend, but preferably more; hopefully, someday, much more than even that.”

“Wow,” Sarah gasped, “I don’t know whether I should be relieved or scared by that.”

“You and me both, Sarah.” Chuck took hold of her hand in both of his and turned to face her, “But I meant every word. If professional partners are all you want or are willing to be with me, that’s all we’ll be. I would love it if we could be more, but the ball is squarely in your court now.”

“Okay, okay. I do want this, you, too,” Sarah shrugged, “I admit you haven’t been far from my mind either. Truth be told I was a little disappointed when I didn’t receive an email from you.”

“I told you, my hard drive got fried,” Chuck protested.

Sarah simply held up her hand, “I have been kicking myself the past couple weeks for not giving you my number.” She quietly handed his cell phone back to him. The screen showing a picture of her and Molly that he’d taken on the plane with her name simply listed as ‘Sarah’ and her number beneath.

“How did you…” Chuck gaped.

“You know all that traveling I mentioned from growing up?” Sarah looked up at him.

“Yeah.”

“It’s because my father is Jack Burton,” She gave him a small smile as she watched the intersect play across his features.

“Your dad’s a con-artist,” Chuck raised an eyebrow.

“Which is actually how I wound up at Harvard,” Sarah continued, “He was arrested just as I was starting my senior year. Graham was one of the agents who came for him. He gave me the option of being arrested with my father, because by that point I was just as guilty as he was, or turn my life around and join the CIA. He hired tutors and helped me to finish my senior year in half the time so that while the rest of my class was starting spring semester, I was packing my bags to go to college.”

"I can see how some of the cons your dad pulled could prepare you for being an agent for the CIA.” Chuck responded thoughtfully, when Sarah gave him a questioning look, he simply smiled and tapped his temple, “It was in the flash.”

“’Flash?’” Sarah cocked her head to the side.

“That’s what I’ve decided to call it when the intersect engages,” Chuck shrugged, “All this information comes streaming to me like a flash.”

“Hmm, Flash, sounds better than what I was thinking,” Sarah nodded, “It was kind of a long description of how your face looks when you flash.”

"How does my face look?” A small grin spread on Chuck’s face.

“Like you tasted something sour and looked at a bright light at the same time,” Sarah shrugged, “I gotta tell ya, it’s super attractive.”

Chuck just laughed, “I bet it is,” he pulled her closer, “So are we okay?”

“As okay as we can be at this point,” Sarah sighed, “It’s all more than a little overwhelming.”

“No kidding,” Chuck nodded, “So, do you want to go back into the lioness’ den and finish the roast that Devon slaved over all afternoon or would you rather just go home?”

"Can I take the third option?” Sarah leaned against his chest.

“Third option?” Chuck looked down at her.

“Well, I’d rather not deal with your sister any more tonight. Mom says Molly went down easy and will hopefully be down for most of the night if that sound machine does what it’s supposed to.” Sarah looked up at him hopefully, “And I kinda would like to have a quiet night, but I don’t want to be alone.”

A smile spread across Chuck’s face, “Sarah? Would you like to come over? We don’t have to do anything, maybe watch a movie, or just talk?”

“I would like that,” Sarah smiled up at him.

“Then come with me,” Chuck draped his arm over her shoulder, as she wrapped her arm around his waist, and led her back to his apartment. Once the door was open, Chuck nodded toward the couch, “Make yourself comfortable, I’m gonna go see what I can scrounge up.”

“Alright,” Sarah nodded, kicking off her boots she sat on the left side of the couch, tucking her feet underneath her.

Chuck returned a few moments later, a large bowl of popcorn in one hand and a bottle of wine and two glasses in the other, “Found another bottle of wine in the pantry that I forgot I had. Hope you like Riesling.”

“I love it,” Sara gave him a reassuring smile as he handed the bowl of popcorn to her, so he could open the bottle with the opener he pulled out of his pocket and pour them both a glass. “Thank you,” She smiled up a him as he handed her a glass and settled on the other end of the couch, turning slightly to face her.

“Would you like to watch a movie?” He asked, “I mean we already have the popcorn and all, and I promise I won’t pick anything too nerdy to start off with.”

"Sure, what do you have in mind?” Sarah took a sip of her wine.

“Princess Bride?” Chuck suggested, smiling when interest passed over her face and she nodded, “Alright, give me a moment to set it up.”

Chuck made quick work of getting the entertainment system up and running and inserting the DVD into the player before sitting back down on the couch. “Oh, one more thing,” He hit a button on the side of his watch.

“What did you just do?” She shifted so that she was now on the center cushion, leaning against his side, wine in one hand, the large bowl of popcorn balanced between the side of his thigh and her legs which were curled to her left side.

“Dampeners, my own design,” Chuck shrugged, “Keeps the neighbors from complaining about the sound system. It also has the added benefit of filtering cell signals. I am able to program the system to only allow certain numbers to get through. For example, your mom’s number in case there’s an emergency with Molly.”

“How’d you get my mom’s number?” Sarah challenged him.

“Sarah, Honey, Baby, Sweetheart,” Chuck grinned at her as he pulled her cellphone from his front pocket and waved it at her as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, “You are not the only one with tricks up their sleeves.”

“My nerdy boyfriend’s spy gadgets are so cool,” Sarah couldn’t help but laugh at his antics and tease him as he picked up the remote and started the movie. It had been years since she’d seen the movie, last time had been with Bryce. It had been back when they’d first become partners. They’d been sent to Monte Carlo to investigate a smuggling ring and were put on hold by their superiors for 36 hours. Bryce had pulled a small binder of DVDs from his bag, suggesting they watch movies to pass the time.

She had enjoyed the movie then, watching the film with a friend as they debated the merits of the fight scenes. However, she found that she enjoyed it more, watching with Chuck, curled up against his side, his fingers tracing slow patterns on her arm and shoulder where it rested. She was disappointed when the movie came to an end and Chuck began to shift to get up.

“No,” She protested, wrapping her arm around his waist and leaning her head on his shoulder, “Not just yet.”

“As you wish,” Chuck gave her a soft smile, kissing the top of her head as they continued to cuddle up on the couch. Sarah had just started to drift off when she heard Chuck speak again, “Hey, are you going to be okay driving home?”

“Hmm?” She murmured, snuggling into her Chuck-pillow a bit more.

“I asked if you were going to be okay driving home tonight,” Chuck repeated, “I mean you could sleep here, in the guest room if you want, or I could drive you home if you don’t think you can get there safely.”

“Oh,” Sarah sighed, sitting up and stretching to wake up a bit, still groggy from the brief nap she’d caught after the movie. She slowly pulled her boots back on, “Um, I probably should go home tonight. Mom has to go to work in the morning, and of course I have the mom thing. I never thought I’d be able to do the mom thing, and then Molly came into my life.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation,” Chuck stood, pulling her to her feet before wrapping his arms around her waist, “I think you are handling the mom thing like a pro. It can’t be easy doing the mom thing as a single parent. I mean, Ellie is a great mom, but she struggles too, and she has Devon right there. …And I think we’ve officially worn out the term ‘mom thing.’”

“Well, I’m not completely without help,” Sarah drifted her hands up his arms, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, “I mean I have Mom, and you. At least I hope I have you.”

“Of course you do, Sarah,” Chuck assured her, pulling her close so that they were cheek to cheek, she could feel his breath as it whispered past her ear, sending shivers of pleasure down her spine, “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my girls. I hope it’s okay that I think of you that way.”

“It’s definitely okay,” Sarah smiled up at him, marveling at the emotion in Chuck’s dark eyes. Knowing now that he was a spy, it was so strange to her that he was so openly emotive, and she was so open with him. Most spies, herself included, were more reserved, you could seldom know what they were thinking or feeling. With Chuck, you saw everything on his face, and in his eyes. Those eyes that drew her in like nothing else, and she had a feeling he could see the same emotions in her eyes when she looked at him or Molly. They were the only ones who could ever illicit such a response from her. _If the guys at the farm could see me now,_ she thought, giggling, _They would wonder what ever happened to Stone-Cold Sarah Walker._

“What’s so funny?” Chuck leaned back to look her in the eyes.

“I was just thinking, you are not the typical spy,” She cocked her head at him.

“Thank you, I think,” Chuck gave her an odd look.

“You’re welcome,” She smiled, “I mean, everyone in the company is so reserved, you can never tell what they are thinking or feeling, but one look in your eyes, and I can see everything.”

“It’s the same with you,” Chuck whispered, “I only have to look at you and I don’t have to ask what you are thinking, I just know. Even when you are trying to hide it, your eyes give you away every time.”

“Only with you, Chuck,” She sighed, “To everyone else I’m the emotionally constipated Stone-Cold Sarah Walker.”

“Well, I don’t know about that,” Chuck grinned, “All I know is that Sarah Walker is an open book, at least when it comes to her daughter and me.”

“An open book, huh?” Sarah looked him in the eyes, “Then tell me, what am I thinking now?”

“Hmm,” Chuck looked at her contemplatively for a moment, “You’re wondering if what they say about tall men with feet to match is true,” He teased, making Sarah blush, “You’ll just have to wait in anticipation to find that out, I think.” He smirked, “You’re wondering how it is that a beautiful woman like you is already falling for a total nerd you met only a few weeks ago. You are thinking that it is too good to be true to find a man who not only cares for you but seems to adore your daughter as much as you do – which I totally do, by the way.”

“Oh Chuck,” Sarah sighed, emotion welling in her eyes as he lifted one hand from her waist and wiped away a tear that had fallen to her cheek. “What am I thinking now?”

“I don’t need to tell you that, you already know,” Chuck smiled warmly at her, “All I can do is respond, ‘As you wish.’”

Sarah didn’t have a moment to respond as Chuck dipped his head, his lips meeting hers. It wasn’t possessive, or rough. His kiss was soft, and gentle, his long fingers weaving themselves into her hair as his other hand tightened around her waist, pulling her closer. He nipped at her lips, requesting access, groaning with pleasure when she allowed him to deepen the kiss. The innate passion of his kiss ignited a slow burn in her belly that threatened to overtake her. She’d never been kissed by anyone the way that Chuck kissed her. It was like the whole world came to a screeching halt as they had their moment, and then rushed forward as he slowly pulled back, resting his head on her forehead.

“Wow,” Sarah sighed, “How is it that you can kiss like that and are still single?”

“Not single,” He reminded her, “And I only have ever kissed my girlfriend like that.”

“Oh,” Sarah looked down misunderstanding his meaning.

Realizing what she might be thinking, Chuck curled his forefinger under her chin and tilted it up again until her eyes met his, “That is to say, I’ve never kissed anyone the way I kiss you, Sarah. And for the record, I’ve never been kissed back the way you kiss me. With my exes, it was all possession, lust. With you, it’s so much more, passion, and letting yourself be vulnerable – which I know is hard for you.”

“Not so hard,” Sarah countered, her voice soft, “At least not so hard when it’s you. I’ve trusted you since the day we met. You know in this business, we so often have to go with what our instincts are telling us. When I first met you, I was so confused, I didn’t know who this strange man was, claiming to be my husband. I thought you had mistaken me for someone else, but at the same time it was like being near you brought me peace and even more strength than I knew I ever had. I knew I could trust you, with Molly, with me, with… well everything, and I don’t trust easily.”

“I know,” Chuck nodded, “And it’s humbling to think that of all the men in the world, I am the one you chose to trust.”

“How could I not?” Sarah looked deep into his eyes, “When, without even thinking about it, the walls I’ve so carefully placed around myself came crashing down around me. You overtook me, in the very best way.”

“Listen to us,” He chuckled, “We don’t sound like your typical first date couples.”

“Who ever said we were typical?” Sarah challenged, raising her eye brow at him, “Normal is overrated, anyhow.” Noticing how dark it had gotten, she took a deep breath, “I really should be going, while I can still move under my own power.”

“My offer to drive you home still stands,” Chuck reminded her.

“I know, and I appreciate it,” She smiled up at him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, “Maybe another time.”

“At least allow me to walk you to your car,” Chuck countered, smiling as Sarah gave him a brief nod.

Hand-in-hand they made their way outside, walking slowly to where Sarah had parked the sedan she was renting until she could find time to buy a new car. She knew there was no way she could keep the Lotus as her personal car now that Molly was around. Arriving at the car, she leaned up against the driver’s side as Chuck wrapped his arms around her waist once more, kissing her on the cheek, before opening the door for her with a smile.

“I told you, if things went well, I’d give you a kiss on the cheek,” Chuck gave her a coy smile, “I’m a man of my word.”

“You are such a nerd,” Sarah chuckled, sliding into the car, and closing the door starting the ignition and rolling down her window.

“Proud of it,” He laughed, leaning his arms against the car door, “Drive safe, Sarah. Call me and let me know you got home safe.”

“I will,” She nodded, “I had a great time, we should do it again.”

“As you wish,” Chuck whispered, leaning through the open window to press a soft kiss to her lips before taking a step back so she could drive off.

Chuck stood and watched as Sarah’s car disappeared around the corner as she headed toward the highway that would take her back to Pasadena. Once she was out of sight, he slid his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, thinking about everything that had happened that night, still overwhelmed at it all. With a deep breath, he turned to head back to his apartment.

“Hey,” He heard as he was about to round the fountain, “Can we talk?”

“Ellie,” He shook his head, continuing toward his apartment, “If you want to rag on Sarah some more, I don’t want to hear it.”

“No,” Ellie put her hand on his bicep, stopping him and turning him toward her, “I wanted to apologize.”

“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to,” He replied, his voice low.

“I know,” Ellie sighed, “And I’ll apologize to Sarah next time she’s over. Maybe if she brings her daughter with her, I can bring Clara with me, so the girls can play a little.”

“I appreciate the effort, Elle,” Chuck nodded, “But make things right with Sarah first before planning any play dates with the girls, okay? I would love it if the girls got to know each other, but I refuse to put either of them through an event like tonight, I care about all of you; Sarah and Molly, You, Awesome, and Clara, too much.”

“I get that,” Ellie nodded, “I still want to apologize to you, it wasn’t fair to question your judgement like I did, especially in front of Sarah and everyone at dinner tonight. I know you’re a grown man, but sometimes I look at you and I still see that awkward teenager who didn’t know where to put his hands when he kissed Mandy Peterson at the homecoming dance.”

“Elle, I love you, but you have a child of your own now to mother,” Chuck took his sister’s hands in his, “Your job with me is done, can we just go back to being brother and sister like we were before Dad had to leave?”

“Okay,” Ellie gave him a small smile, “I love you, Doofus.”

“I love you too, Dorcus,” Chuck smirked, giving his sister a hug, “It’s late, we should both head to bed.”

“Agreed,” Ellie nodded, heading back to her townhome, “I’ll see you when I see you.”

“Not if I see you first,” Chuck gave her a small smile as she slipped into her home before heading to his own home. Closing the door to his room, he slowly changed for bed and settled beneath the covers, his mind reeling over everything. Even with everything that had happened in the last six hours, he still felt like everything was going to work out in the end. With that prevailing thought in his head, he closed his eyes and let himself drift, only opening his eyes once more when Sarah called to let him know she was home safe and was heading to bed once she checked on Molly. Smiling as he said good night once more, he allowed himself to drift off into a peaceful sleep, full of Sarah and Molly and happy times that he hoped would be in his future.


	4. Chapter 4

Sarah stretched as she sat up in her bed; it had been about a month since she and Molly had arrived at her mother’s home and reclaimed her childhood bedroom. A warm smile split her face as she slowly got out of bed and crossed the room to where her daughter had slept the night before in a bassinet her mother had found in the attic, “Good morning, Little One,” Sarah cooed, lifting her daughter into her arms, “Did you have a good sleep?”

Molly simply nuzzled into her mother’s shoulder, her eyes blinking slowly in response. Sarah made quick work of changing the girl’s diaper and getting her dressed. Thankfully, the girl was too sleepy to put up much of a fight as Sarah dressed her in a purple onesie and grey pants before adding a pair of white socks with purple toes and heel to the girl’s feet.

“There we go, all pretty for today,” Sarah nuzzled the girl’s tummy, making Molly squeal in delight, “I think a little breakfast will be good, don’t you?”

Heading down the stairs, Sarah strapped Molly into her car seat while she set to work making a bottle for her daughter, causing the girl to whimper. “I know you don’t like sitting in that thing, Hunny,” Sarah sympathized with the infant as she waited for the bottle to heat up, “We still have to get some stuff for you. I suppose, we could do that today, if you feel up to it. What do you think, Little Miss? You up for a shopping trip with your Mama today?”

Testing the bottle on her wrist and finding it an acceptable temperature, Sarah unstrapped Molly and lifted her into her arms, “Okay, breakfast time,” She smiled at the girl nestled in her arms as she offered the nipple of the bottle to the baby who began to drink greedily.

Just as she had settled in the living room with Molly, her laptop went off. “Perfect timing as always,” She grumbled, opening the computer and answering the video conference call. “Good Morning Director.”

“Agent Walker,” Director Graham, upon seeing her still in the tank top and sleep pants she’d slept in and feeding her daughter, gave her an exasperated look, “This is highly irregular, and certainly not professional.”

“Director, I’m a single mother, now,” Sarah reminded him, “My mom is at work, would you rather I not feed her and have her screaming from hunger while we try to talk? Or would you prefer to brief me while we wait for her to finish her bottle? Look at it this way, at least I didn’t answer the call while I was breast feeding.”

“Agent Walker…” The director warned.

Noticing that Molly had finished drinking, Sarah made sure the burp rag was over her shoulder and, lifting her daughter, proceeded to pat and rub the girl’s back as she spoke, “I take it you are calling to hear my report from last night.” When the director gave her a nod, she proceeded, “I met up with Agent Carmichael last night. As expected, he did download the Intersect. However, he did not intend to, apparently he was unaware of Agent Larkin’s plans and simply thought he was opening a birthday message from a friend as the file was sent to him on the evening of his birthday.”

“Did you inform him of the plan going forward?” The director prompted.

“Yes,” Sarah nodded, smiling as a small belch left her daughter’s lips. Patting the girl’s mouth to get any excess formula or any spit-up that may have occurred as she continued to speak to her director, “I explained that I had been assigned to him, which he was put out over by the way, but once I explained I was his partner, not his handler, he calmed some. I also explained that we would be leading a team of analysts in town as soon as office space could be found. Figuring we would need fairly consistent access to one another, Carmichael suggested we let his friends and family believe that we are dating.”

“Why would he suggest that? Was there something wrong with you acting as his personal assistant or secretary?” Graham challenged.

“I did suggest that, sir,” Sarah acknowledged, “However, Carmichael pointed out that such a cover would not give us the access to each other this assignment warrants due to the many unknown variables inherent in the assignment and, frankly, I agree with his assessment.”

“Very well,” The director nodded, “We were able to get a line on a few office buildings for your operation. Since you and Agent Carmichael will be heading the team, we will allow you to choose which you would prefer. You will have appointments to receive a brief tour of each today and will need to reach a decision within the next 48 hours.”

“Understood,” Sarah nodded, “I will inform Agent Carmichael. When is the first appointment?”

“10:00,” The director informed her, “I would suggest finding a childcare arrangement in that time.”

“Yes, sir,” Sarah barely resisted rolling her eyes at him, “Will there be anything else?”

“That is all,” Graham stated and then disconnected the call.

“’I would suggest finding a childcare arrangement…’” Sarah scoffed, “Arrange this!” She huffed. Thankfully, she’d already found a childcare that was willing to take Molly at a moment’s notice. Dialing the number to the location, she informed them that she would be dropping Molly off within the hour.

Once Molly was taken care of, she pulled up her contacts in her phone and called Chuck’s secure line. “Carmichael,” The sound of his voice made her smile.

“Good morning, this is Sarah,” She greeted him, letting him know which mode she was calling in. “I just got off the phone with Graham. He said that the agency found a few offices they needed you to take a look at to make a decision on where we are going to head our team.”

“Sounds like fun,” Chuck smiled, “Do you need me to pick you up?”

“No,” Sarah grinned at his courteousness, “I have to drop Molly off at daycare and you’re on the way to the first office anyhow, I’ll pick you up in about 30 minutes.”

“Sounds good, I’ll be ready,” Chuck agreed. “See you then.”

“See you,” Sarah nodded, disconnecting the call. Taking Molly with her, she quickly got dressed, packed the diaper bag with a couple changes of clothes for the baby and enough diapers to last her for the day before strapping the, now unhappy, Molly back into her car seat with her purple blanket tucked around her, “I know, Baby, but we have to keep you safe.”

Snapping the carrier into its base, Sarah quickly threw the diaper bag in the trunk before dropping into the driver’s seat and pulling out of the driveway. Before long, she was on the highway heading for Burbank.

~~~~~~~~~

The trip to Chuck’s home only took about 20 minutes and before she knew it, she was pulling her rental into one of the visitor’s spaces near Chuck’s condo. Not wanting to wrestle with the carrier, and knowing she couldn’t leave Molly in the car, Sarah quickly unstrapped the girl from her seat and pulled her into her arms, wrapping the blanket around her daughter to shield her from the cool early fall morning. Arming the car and slipping her keys into her purse, she quickly made her way across the courtyard.

Before she could even knock on the door, it swung open, revealing Chuck in a slim-fitting charcoal suit with a white shirt and a navy tie with small, silver, diagonal stripes. The black high-top chucks on his feet added character rather than detracting from the look of the suit. Sarah had seen him in a suit before, on the plane nearly two weeks ago, but she’d nearly forgotten how well he wore one. “Good morning,” Chuck greeted them warmly, a broad smile on his face as he closed the door behind him and pocketed his keys. “If it isn’t my favorite ladies, come to greet me!”

“Good Morning, Chuck,” Sarah smiled as he approached them.

Chuck couldn’t help but grin at the sight of Sarah standing there in a dark navy skirted suit holding her daughter to her shoulder. The pale grey blouse she wore matched her pumps almost exactly. “Sarah, you look lovely this morning,” His smile broadened as Molly noticed him and immediately reached out. “And you Miss Molly are absolutely adorable!”

He deftly lifted the girl from her mother’s arms, careful not to drop the blanket, and swung her up over his head, making the little girl giggle as Sarah smiled on at him. Settling the girl on his hip and checking to make sure the blanket was once again wrapped around the little girl, he leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to Sarah’s lips. “I wasn’t expecting both of you.”

“Yeah, well you are on the way to her daycare, didn’t make sense to drop her off then circle back,” Sarah shrugged, “But we really should get going before we are late to view the first office space.”

“Alright, let’s go,” Chuck nodded, following Sarah back to the car. As soon as Sarah disarmed the car, Chuck quickly got Molly secured back in her seat. The little girl’s bottom lip began to quiver, “Aw, now none of that Sweet Pea, it’s only for a little bit until we can drop you off to play with your new friends.” He cooed, causing the little girl to calm down.

“You are the baby whisperer,” Sarah chuckled at him as they got into the car, “She hates that thing, screams whenever I put her into it, yet a few words from you and she quiets immediately.”

“I guess I must have the touch,” Chuck shrugged, fastening his seatbelt as Sarah pulled back out onto the roadway heading toward Molly’s childcare. A few minutes later they were pulling into the driveway of the home that housed the childcare that Molly would be attending. “Um, Hunny, are you sure this is the right place? This looks like it’s someone’s home.”

“That’s because it is,” Sarah laughed lightly, “This lady does 24 hour and extended childcare out of her home, which means if we get called away suddenly or for several days, Molly has a safe place she can stay until we get back. Also, she’s okay with us not having a regular schedule and only dropping Molly off for a few hours or even a few days as needed.”

“I didn’t know there was such a thing,” Chuck mused, “You get the bags, I’ll get the kid.”

“Why would you?” Sarah shrugged, opening the trunk of the car and retrieving Molly’s diaper bag, “It’s not typically something that a single man with no kids would think about. You only know about it because this is where I chose to bring Molly.”

“Not to sound like a rube or anything,” Chuck released Molly’s carrier from the base, “But couldn’t your mom watch her if we’re gone for a more than a day?”

“Theoretically, yes,” Sarah met up with him, walking toward the front door of the home, “But I don’t want to take advantage of her. Besides, eventually, I’ll find a place of my own and move out. Maybe here, maybe elsewhere and it won’t be as easy as, ‘Hey Mom, Molly’s still sleeping but I got called out on a job, can you watch her for a few days?’”

“We could always look into a nanny to travel with us if we get an overnight mission,” Chuck suggested as Sarah knocked on the door of the home.

“True, but do you have any idea how much it would cost to have someone like that on retainer, not to mention the extensive background checks?” Sarah looked at him.

“No,” Chuck shook his head, “But it couldn’t hurt to look. I know the idea of being away from Molly for more than a night is hard for you right now.”

“I know,” Sarah agreed, sadly, “But it’ll have to happen eventually. I mean, it’s not like we can go into a hot zone with her strapped to our chests.”

Chuck burst out laughing, the carrier shaking in his hands as Sarah looked at him like he’d lost his mind and Molly just laughed with him.

“What is so funny?” Sarah scoffed.

“Nothing,” Chuck reigned himself in, “I just had a very vivid image of you, guns blazing, with Molly strapped to your chest. Facing you, of course, so she won’t see the bad guys getting ‘big boo-boos’ inflicted by Mommy while Mommy’s friend, Chuck is doing the same with a tranq gun.”

“Wait, you only carry a tranq gun?” Sarah turned to him as they heard the locks on the door disengage. “We will discuss this later.”

“Good morning, Sarah!” The older woman greeted her warmly. She had salt and pepper hair, warm hazel eyes, and a kind smile. She was of average build, a little shorter than Sarah and wore a sweater, jeans, and a pair of tan flats. “I see you brought your husband with you today!”

“Oh he…” Sarah started to protest.

“Was just wanting to meet you before we dropped Molly off with you today,” Chuck interrupted. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to come meet you before, I was out of town on business. I’m Charles Carmichael.”

“Very nice to meet you, Charles,” The older woman smiled at him, “My name is Anne. Won’t you please come in?”

“We would love to,” Chuck gave Anne an easy smile, ignoring the look on his partner’s face which was alternating between bemusement, embarrassment, and irritation. “You have a lovely home. Are these your kids?” He asked, noticing a framed family photo on the wall along with several individual school and senior pictures.

“Yes, all ten of them,” Anne smiled proudly. “My husband and I both had four each when we got married and then had two more together. Most of ‘em are grown and out of the house, but you’ll probably see one of my younger boys every so often.”

“Wow, ten kids, and you run a childcare out of your home on top of it?” Chuck looked impressed. “You must have a lot of patience.”

“That’s what my daughter, Lizzie says,” Anne chuckled kindly, “That I’m either crazy or have the patience of Job. She swears the two are on the same spectrum.”

“So, Sarah was telling me that you are open 24/7?” Chuck inquired as Anne led them into the kitchen and family room area where there were a few kids playing or eating their morning snacks.

“Yes, I have a couple bedrooms upstairs where I have bunkbeds and a few pack’n’plays if anyone needs to drop their kiddos off over night or really early.” Anne nodded, “Makes it easier on those folks who don’t have regular-like schedules. A few of the kids have airline crewmembers as parents, some who even fly together, so their parents will just drop them off before their trips.”

“It’s very kind of you to open your home like this,” Chuck smiled at the older woman. “Sarah and I work together and our business doesn’t exactly keep normal hours, it was such a relief when she told me that you could take in Molly any time of the night or day if we needed it.”

“Charles,” Sarah gave him a look and tapped her watch.

“Speaking of, we have a meeting to get to,” Chuck looked around, “Were can I set Molly down?”

“Oh, you can set her next to the couch or in one of the swings,” Anne pointed toward a couple mechanical baby swings that sat in the space between the living room and kitchen areas.

“I didn’t even see those,” He chuckled, “What do you think, Sweet Pea, would you like to swing for a bit?”

Setting the carrier on the table, he quickly undid Molly’s straps and removed her from the carrier. “If you want to say goodbye, I can take care of the carrier for you.” Anne suggested, picking up the car seat as Chuck nodded and carried the baby over to the swings, followed closely by Sarah.

The older woman gave Chuck and Sarah space to say good bye while she dealt with putting the carrier in a nearby closet. “Okay, be good for Miss Anne.” Sarah cooed, taking Molly from Chuck and giving her a kiss on the cheek before settling her in one of the swings.

“We’ll be back soon,” Chuck added before they stood and met up with Anne in the kitchen. “Thank you again for taking her on such short notice.”

“It’s no problem,” The older woman assured him, “Good luck with your meeting It was nice to meet you, Charles.”

“It was nice to meet you as well, Anne.” Chuck smiled and shook the older woman’s hand.

“Thank you,” Sarah smiled softly as she let Chuck guide her from the house. Once the door shut behind her, she wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “God, that was harder than I thought it would be.”

“Would you like me to drive?” Chuck offered as they approached the car.

“Okay, the address for the first place is already programed into the GPS,” Sarah informed him, disarming the car and handing the keys to Chuck as he held the door for her. Once they were both settled in the car and Chuck had the GPS loaded, she turned to face him. “Oh, and what was that?”

“What was what?” Chuck looked at her innocently.

“You know what I’m talking about ‘Charles.’ Pretending to be Molly’s father,” Sarah ticked off the point on her fingers, “Pretending to be my husband…”

“Well I am your boyfriend,” Chuck pointed out, “One day, both of those descriptors could very well apply to me.”

“But they don’t currently,” Sarah pointed out as Chuck turned out of the residential area.

“I didn’t hear you jumping to correct Anne’s assumptions,” Chuck countered.

“Well, I… you.”

“Uh huh,” Chuck nodded, a smirk on his face.

“I hate smirkers,” Sarah groaned.

“Oh, you know you like me,” Chuck teased.

“You’re lucky you’re cute.” Sarah huffed, good naturedly.

“You like me, you really like me,” Chuck grinned, pulling into the parking lot of the office building with 10 minutes to spare before their appointment.

“Whatever,” Sarah rolled her eyes as Chuck pulled into one of the parking stalls and cut the engine. “Oh, after we view this office, I need to ask you a favor.”

“Sure thing,” Chuck agreed, rounding the car and opening the door for her.

“And don’t think I forgot about the tranq gun,” Sarah warned, “We _will_ be discussing that later.”

“Yes, Dear,” Chuck gave her a placating smile as they approached the office building where a woman was already waiting, portfolio in her hands.

“Agents Carmichael and Walker,” The woman greeted them, “I’m Agent Forest, I will be your tour guide as it were for this location.

“Lead the way,” Chuck opened the door behind her and swept his arm in a silent indicator for the female agents to precede him into the office.

The office itself was fairly basic. The entry way boasted a decent sized waiting area and a receptionist’s desk. Another door led into the office proper where six modular work stations with partitions sat. To the left and slightly behind them sat a second pod of four more of the modular stations. Next to the pod and directly to their left was a decent sized break room with two tables, a fridge, microwave, toaster, and coffee maker. Returning to the main office building they saw three private offices lining the wall across from the break room. Finally, next to the larger of the three offices was a small hallway that served as a secondary egress point. Across the hall was a large conference room.

“Both the main and office doors are fully reinforced, steal core doors, nothing will get through these,” Agent Forest explained guiding them through the office. “The appliances in the break room are in full working order, but there are also several other dining choices in the immediate area. Lastly the conference room is a secure room, you would be taking your meetings from the Director in there.”

“We don’t need that many private offices, I don’t think,” Chuck commented, “I mean I’ll probably have my own as the team leader, we haven’t decided what role Agent Walker will play for the cover.”

“The receptionist’s desk works fine for me,” Sarah shrugged, “If we place surveillance cameras facing the main door and the other side of the receptionist desk and allow for unrestricted access to the feed, it would allow me to fully vet any and all guests to the office.”

“We could always knock down the wall between the smaller two offices and make it a secondary conference room,” Agent Forest suggested.

“That might work,” Chuck mused, “At the very least it will give us a space to meet with prospective private clients. We will need to take some here and there to maintain our cover.”

“Agreed,” Sarah nodded.

“If there is nothing else, I do have another appointment,” Agent Forest informed them, handing a floor plan of the office an info sheet to both Chuck and Sarah, “If you have any questions, please contact the phone number on the card.”

“Thank you, Agent Forest,” Chuck shook the woman’s hand. Sarah did the same before the other agent left the office.

“So, what do you think?” Sarah inquired.

“It could work, depending on the size of our team.” Chuck nodded, “But I’d like to see the other options before making a decision.

“Okay,” Sarah nodded, “We have time for lunch before the next appointment.”

“We’re near Buy More Plaza,” Chuck pointed across the street to the strip mall that housed the large green store front of his former employer, “We could go to Lou’s Deli. She has a great big…”

“Chuck!” Sarah scolded.

“Let me finish,” He chuckled, “Selection of meats and cheeses, Morgan swears by her sandwiches. Trust me, if it’s Morgan recommended, you better believe it’s good.”

“Well if Morgan recommends it…” Sarah teased.

“Lou’s?” Chuck opened the passenger door for her.

“Lou’s,” Sarah agreed, sliding in and fastening her belt while Chuck rounded the car and joined her.

Moments later, they were walking, arm-in-arm into the famed deli. “Chuck Bartowski!” A short brunette called as she came from behind the counter, “Long time no see! Where have you been keeping yourself?”

“Hey Lou,” Chuck smiled at her as he gave her a hug, “I’ve been here and there, Europe mostly, doing some private cybersecurity work. I’m back now, my last job brought in enough money that I can expand the business, maybe even hire a few folks to join me in this little venture of mine.”

“I’m impressed,” Lou nodded before turning toward Sarah, “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Lou Palone, the owner of this establishment.”

“Nice to meet you, Lou.” Sarah looked between Lou and Chuck, clearly there was some kind of history there, “I’m Sarah.”

“Nice to meet you Sarah,” Lou shook her hand, an appraising eye taking in the tall blonde woman.

“Sarah is my girlfriend,” Chuck supplied, “We met on the plane back from Paris, we hit it off and since we were both going to be in the LA area, thought we’d give it a shot.”

“How’s it working out for you?” Lou asked, “And what is it with you picking up women on your way home from Paris?”

Chuck just laughed, “Well, that was just a coincidence.” He shook his head, before turning to explain to Sarah, “About a year ago I went to Paris on another job, on my way back I met Hannah who had just lost her job when her tech firm went belly-up. I pulled some strings with Morgan and got her a job at the Buy More, in appreciation, she asked me out. We went out a few times, but it didn’t work out. She’s since moved on to corporate, regional supervisor of the Nerd Heard program.”

“She liked him way more than he liked her,” Lou supplied, giving Chuck a knowing look, “It’s a pretty common occurrence, I should know.”

“Lou and I also dated about a couple years back, about the time she opened the Deli. I’d hit a slump and had to go back to working as a Nerd Hearder for a bit,” Chuck shrugged, “She came in to have her phone fixed and I fixed it. She, in turn, asked me out. We dated for a little while.”

“Three months,” Lou added.

“Three months, right,” Chuck agreed, “And then business began to pick up again.”

“And he dropped me on my ass,” Lou quipped.

“Hey, now,” Chuck retorted jovially, rolling his eyes, “That’s not exactly how it happened. We parted amicably as friends.”

“True,” Lou shrugged, “If he hadn’t done it, I was planning to.”

Sarah nodded, understanding that he meant that he’d probably had to leave for a mission. “So, is that why there are two sandwiches named after you up on that board?”

“There are two now?” Chuck turned back to Lou.

“Yeah well there’s the original; turkey and muenster, grilled on egg bread,” Lou pointed toward the board, “And then there’s the Chuck Part Deux, which is the Rueben with the pastrami, muenster, and coleslaw on rye, or as I like to call it the Apology sandwich.”

“I kinda made a mess of things about a month into our relationship,” Chuck admitted, blushing when Sarah gave him a quizzical look, “I came to apologize, even brought gerbera daisies, her favorite, but she wouldn’t talk to me unless I ordered something, so I just made it up.”

“Turned out pretty good so I later added it to the menu,” Lou shrugged, “What can I say? The knucklehead can be charming when he wants to be.”

“Yeah, I noticed that,” Sarah looked up at her boyfriend.

“So, are you two hungry?” Lou asked, popping back around the counter, “Figure you didn’t come to stroll down memory lane.”

“What would you like, Hunny?” Chuck turned to Sarah.

“I think I’ll take the original Chuck,” She smiled up at him before turning back to Lou, “Could I get it as a half sandwich and a garden salad with Italian dressing?”

“Of course,” Lou smiled, “And for you, Chuck?”

“I think I’ll take the Part Deux,” Chuck nodded, “I’ve been craving a good pastrami and yours is the best around. Your house kettle chips on the side, a cola for me and an iced tea for the lady.”

“Coming right up,” Lou nodded, “Go take a seat and I’ll bring your orders out.”

“Alright, Hunny, could you go find us a seat while I go pay?” Sarah nodded and left to scout out a table while Chuck stopped at the register to pay.

“She’s pretty,” Lou commented as she put his sandwich on the grill.

“She is,” Chuck agreed, “She is that and so much more.”

“You have it bad,” Lou chuckled, “She does too, by the looks she’s been giving you this whole time.”

“Lou, I think she might be ‘it’ for me.” Chuck looked over his shoulder to where Sarah sat, “You know the big ‘it.’ ‘_The_ one,’ is it weird to think that after only knowing each other for such a short amount of time? I mean, we only met like a month ago.”

“I don’t think you can put a time frame on it,” Lou shrugged, plating the sandwich, “I mean I really liked you when we were together and for a long time after that. I really thought we’d had something special, and we had. Then I met Scott, and I knew in an instant what I felt for you was small potatoes, no offence, to the way I feel about him.”

“No offence taken. I’m happy you found someone, Lou,” Chuck smiled, “Oh, and I did get the invite, I hope you don’t mind if I bring Sarah with me.”

“Please do,” Lou nodded, handing him two plates, “Now, you better get back to her before she starts thinking I’m trying to get my hooks in you again. Since you’re here you can take these, I’ll be by with your drinks in a sec.”

Chuck snickered and did as he was told. “Miss me?” He asked, setting the plates down on their table before unbuttoning and removing his suit jacket, draping it over the back of his seat before sitting down.

“Oh terribly,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “She giving you a hard time about RSVP-ing for her wedding?”

“How did you?” Chuck started only to have Sarah smirk and tap the ring finger of her left hand at him. “Right, the bling. Her fiancé is a Lawyer, moved up from Alabama about six months ago.”

“Good ‘ole boy, huh?” Sarah snickered.

“No, nothing like that,” Chuck laughed, “Southern gentleman is more like.”

“I take it you approve of him?” Sarah quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Yeah, he’s good people,” Chuck smiled, “I’m happy for them.”

“Drinks!” Lou sang, delivering their glasses to them, “Enjoy!” With that she returned to her spot behind the counter to wait on her other guests.

“So,” Chuck turned back to his girlfriend, “What was this favor you were needing?”

“Right,” Sarah finished chewing her bite of sandwich, “Oh wow that _is_ good. Sorry, I was planning to go look at some stuff today before Graham called us in.”

“’Stuff?’” Chuck smiled, “What kind of ‘stuff?’”

“Things for Molly,” Sarah shrugged, “Mom found my old bassinet in the attic, and she’s fine in that for now. Eventually she will need a crib, which can wait until I find a place if needed, but I’d still like to scope some out. Maybe get a swing and some other stuff that she might need around the house.”

“Don’t forget a tummy time mat,” Chuck suggested.

“A what?” She laughed.

“A tummy time mat,” Chuck repeated, “Its like a blanket thing with stuff to keep the baby occupied during tummy time.”

“What is tummy time?” Sarah looked puzzled.

“It’s so that she doesn’t get a flat head from laying on her back all the time,” Chuck shrugged, “I think it’s also supposed to help her build up her neck muscles. Ellie was going on about it for a while before and after Clara was born.”

“Things I probably should be learning,” Sarah mused.

“If you want, I can go with you to look at or pick out things,” He suggested.

“Which brings me back to that favor,” Sarah took a deep breath, “Once I get the things, I’ll need help with putting them together, do you think you could…”

“Of course,” Chuck gave her a reassuring smile, “Anything for my girls.”

“’Girls?’” Lou inquired, stopping her drink refilling rounds, iced tea pitcher in her hands.

“Yeah,” Chuck smiled, pulling his phone out of his pocket and pulling up an album of pictures showing both Sarah and Molly. Selecting one of Sarah and Molly both smiling at the camera, he turned the phone to show Lou, smiling like a proud daddy, “Sarah has a four-month-old daughter, Molly.”

“Oh my God!” Lou cooed, flipping through the pictures, “She is adorable! And she looks just like you, Sarah!”

“Thank you,” Sarah blushed, pulling out her own phone and showing her lock screen to Lou. Smiling as Lou took in the picture of Chuck dozing on the plane with a sleeping Molly on his chest, “Chuck is really good with her.”

“Wow,” Lou sighed handing Chuck’s phone back to him while she looked at the picture on Sarah’s, “I think that picture is the definition of curl overload. If I didn’t know you’d only met a month ago, I would think that Chuck was her Dad.”

“That seems to be the general assumption of the public,” Chuck smiled, pocketing his phone once more. “Or it could just be that we were assumed to be a family because we happen to be in the same general area quite often.”

“Oh, stop it,” Lou rolled her eyes at Chuck, “Sarah, you two are welcome to bring Molly by any time. I want to meet this little angel in person.”

“We’ll do that,” Sarah smiled up at the other woman, “Oh, and congratulations, by the way. Chuck said that you were recently engaged… well after I pointed out the bling on your hand. That ring is stunning.”

“Thank you,” Lou grinned, looking at her ring lovingly, “For the well wishes and the compliment, Scott and I are really excited about the wedding.”

“He’s a lucky guy, Lou,” Chuck smiled up at his friend before noticing a dark- haired man in a suit and tie approaching the Deli, “And speak of the devil.”

“Hey, Lou,” The man drawled, wrapping an arm around her waist, “Chuck.”

“Scott,” Chuck nodded.

“Hey, you,” Lou smiled up at him, lifting up on her toes to kiss him, “Here to pick up your order?”

“Do you honestly think that’s the only reason I would be here in the middle of the day?” The man pretended to be hurt.

“Well, considering it’s a little busy right now for me to indulge in a nooner,” Lou teased back.

“Maybe I just wanted to see my beautiful fiancée,” He drawled pulling the Deli owner into his arms.

“Charmer,” Lou rolled her eyes and smacked him playfully on the chest, “I’ll go get your order.”

“So, Chuck, it’s nice to see you again,” Scott pulled a chair up to the table.

“You too,” Chuck smiled, “Scott, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Sarah Walker. Sarah, this is Scott Tucker.”

“Nice to meet you,” Sarah extended her hand to the newcomer. The man wore a black suit with subtle silver pinstriping, a crisp white shirt, and silver tie. The toes of his dress shoes glinted faintly in the early afternoon light.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Scott shook her hand.

“Hey, hands off the merchandise,” Chuck teased, “Go get your own.”

“I’ll get right on that,” Scott unbuttoned his jacket and took a seat at the table. “So, Chuck, what have you been up to lately, it’s been a while since I last saw you.”

“I was out of the country for a while,” Chuck shrugged, “Guy wanted me to set up a digital interface for his European offices.”

“Very nice,” Scott nodded, “What’s with the suit?”

“Oh, well my last job paid enough that I can finally start to expand Carmichael CyberTech,” Chuck smiled, “Sarah and I are out scouting office locations today. Once we have that locked down, I’ll start looking for people to bring into the company. Have a line on a few guys, we’ll see if the bait I offer is enough to entice them over.”

“If you need help drawing up contracts, reviewing your lease documents, or anything on the legal side, my offer still stands,” Scott offered.

“I appreciate that.” Chuck smiled at his friend.

“I may actually have some work to throw your way, if you’re interested,” Scott shrugged, “The partners want to heighten the system security in the office. Would you be interested?”

“I just might be interested if the price is right,” Chuck smirked, reaching behind him and into his suit pocket, he extracted a small metal box. Opening it he withdrew a card, wrote on it, and handed the card to Scott, “Give them my card, if they are interested please have them give me a call so we can work out the numbers. I should warn you I’m not cheap.”

“You get what you pay for,” Scott grinned, looking over his shoulder and spotting his fiancée approaching a bag in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, “Looks like my lunch is here. We should get together sometime, catch up, hang out, or something along those lines.”

“Or all of the above,” Chuck nodded, “We’ll call and set something up.”

“Sounds good,” Scott shook Chuck’s hand before turning to Sarah, “It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Sarah.”

“Pleasure was all mine, Scott.” Sarah smiled warmly up at him as she shook his hand

“Thank you for lunch, Sweetheart,” Scott gave Lou a kiss as he accepted his to-go order, “I promise copious compensation later.”

Lou blushed, “Get out of here, smooth talker.” She chuckled, “I love you.”

“Love you too, see you at home,” Scott smiled down at her, kissed her cheek, and lifting his bottle of water in salute to his friends, turned and exited the deli.

“Your fiancé is quite the charmer,” Sarah smiled at Lou.

“I do like that about him,” Lou shrugged, “Thankfully Chuck is over his infatuation with me, or else he never would have stood a chance against Scott.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Sarah grinned, “Chuck has hidden depths.”

“Don’t I know it,” Lou snickered.

“Would you both stop talking about me like I’m not here?” Chuck teased, looking at his watch, “Actually, we need to anyway, Hun, we have to meet the next realtor soon.”

“Is it that time already?” She asked, checking her watch, “Oh, I guess it is. It was very nice meeting you, Lou.”

“It was nice meeting you too, Sarah,” Lou nodded kindly, “You take care of Chuck here, you got yourself a special one.”

“Don’t I know it.” She smiled toward Chuck who had already pulled his suit jacket back on and was rebuttoning its top button, “Damn, he can wear a suit.” She added under her breath.

“You ain’t kidding,” Lou snickered, “How is it we got two of the very few men who can wear a suit that well?”

“Pure unadulterated, luck.” Sarah smiled, her eyes drifting over Chuck’s form appraisingly, causing him to blush.

“You can both stop ogling me now,” Chuck rolled his eyes, “Lou, it was nice seeing you again, I’ll get your RSVP back to you soon. Sarah, shall we go?”

“Wouldn’t do to keep the realtor waiting.” Sarah slid her purse onto her shoulder and took Chuck’s offered arm, “See you later, Lou.”

“We should set up a girl’s day sometime,” Lou offered.

“I would like that,” Sarah nodded, reaching into her purse and pulling out a card, “That’s my number and email, call me and we’ll set something up.”

“I’ll do that.” Lou smiled, pocketing the card. “Have a good day, you two, hope you find what you are looking for.”

“Thanks,” Chuck nodded and then led his girlfriend back out to the car, “Okay, where’s the next place?”

“Corner of Empire and Ontario,” Sarah reported, sliding into the car as Chuck held the passenger door open for her.

“I know the area,” Chuck nodded as closed the door, “Convenient to the airport.”

“Good to know,” Sarah smiled softly as Chuck took his place behind the wheel before putting the car in gear and heading to their next destination.


	5. Chapter 5

The tours of the last two office buildings had finished by the early afternoon, after calling Anne and checking that it was okay for Molly to be there for a few hours longer, Chuck and Sarah had returned to his apartment to change into more comfortable clothes. Chuck was now dressed in his typical nerdy t-shirt, this time it was a brown shirt with a yellow circle ringed in red on the chest, a strange looking spaceship with a narrow fuselage and large back end was silhouetted against the circle. Over the t-shirt he wore a tan and red plaid button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows. Slim-fitting dark wash jeans and a pair of brown Converse shoes made up his ensemble.

Sarah had changed into a cream-colored peasant blouse, skinny jeans and brown flats that she’d had in her go bag. She was wearing a lightweight brown leather motorcycle jacket to ward off the slight chill in the air. “How do I look?” She’d asked Chuck teasingly, stepping out of the guest room where she’d gotten dressed.

“Beautiful as always,” Chuck smiled warmly at her, kissing her before guiding her out the door to the newly opened Furniture ‘n Stuff store.

“What do you think of this one?” Sarah asked, stopping to peruse a crib that had caught her eyes. It was dark wood, with an adjustable side and bed height.

“Says here that it’s convertible,” Chuck read the information card before pulling out his phone and doing some quick research, “High safety and approval ratings online, and can be used pretty much the child’s whole life. Looks like as the child gets older, with some modifications it can be adjusted from a crib to a toddler bed and then even to a twin or full-sized bed with the purchase of additional frames, when the kid is older.”

“That could be useful,” Sarah acknowledged, “What do you think of the dark frame?”

“I like it, but I don’t think it’s right for Molly.” Chuck shrugged, “But, it also comes in a lighter colored wood as well as painted white,” Chuck noted.

“The white might be nice,” Sarah mused, “Maybe with purple sheets?”

Chuck grinned, wrapping his arm around her waist, “It’s up to you.”

“Can I help you?” A sales woman approached the couple, “My names Julie, I’m one of the salespeople here.”

“Yes,” Sarah nodded, a smile on her lips for the sales woman, “We’re looking for some furniture, and aside from a crib and a dresser, we’re kind of at a loss as to what else is needed.”

“I see,” The woman smiled at them, an appraising eye drifting over Sarah’s frame, _Must still be in her first trimester_, the woman mused, “Getting a jump on things?”

“I’m sorry?” Sarah looked perplexed.

“When are you due?” The woman asked.

Sarah and Chuck blushed, “Actually my daughter is four months old now. She’s been sleeping in a bassinette my mom found in her attic for a while, but we figure she won’t fit in there for very much longer.”

“I see,” The woman nodded, “Do you like this model? It’s completely convertible, you can adjust it so that your daughter can use it all through her childhood. It’s very popular, and our customers love it.”

“We were debating between the dark wood and the white painted version; do you have both in stock here?” Chuck queried.

“I would have to check in the back,” Julie smiled, “Just so you know this bed can be sold as part of a matching set. We have a dresser, a changing table, and a dresser/changing table hybrid that matches this crib. Would you like to take a look?”

The couple nodded and followed the sales woman over to where the matching furniture was. Sarah looked over the furniture pulling out drawers to check capacity while Chuck investigated the features as well as the reviews from previous owners of the set, while Julie slipped into the backroom to check what she had in stock. “It might be a good idea to get the full dresser and the changing table separately,” Chuck suggested. “I know she doesn’t have a lot of clothes right now, but if you get the dresser separate, Molly can keep it for a while.”

“True, but where would it go?” Sarah mused, “The room is cramped as it is.”

“But if Molly had her own room, she’d have the space.” Chuck suggested.

“I don’t know,” Sarah hedged, “I don’t know if I’m ready for her to have her own room.”

“It’s not like you’re moving her to Siberia,” He chuckled, “Just down the hall.”

“You two are absolutely adorable, if you don’t mind me saying,” Julie commented.

“Thanks,” Chuck grinned, “So where do we stand on availability?”

“We have the dark wood crib in stock, but the white painted is on a 3-week back order,” Julie reported, “Same with the matching furniture.”

“I really like the white,” Sarah looked up at Chuck, “And maybe in 3 or 4 weeks I’ll be ready for Molly to have her own room.”

“Okay,” Chuck nodded, “We’ll take the white crib, the stand-alone dresser, and the changing table. Is there anything else you might suggest?”

“We have a nice selection of standard and gliding rockers if you want to take a look.” Julie suggested.

“Do you want to take a look at the rockers or do you want to wait?” Chuck looked down at his girlfriend.

“Let’s take a look,” Sarah shrugged, “We have a couple hours before we told Anne we’d pick up Molly.”

“Alright,” Chuck nodded, “Julie, lead the way.”

The trio looked over and evaluated the rocker selection before Sarah settled on a white glider with blue and purple plaid upholstery. Soon the furniture was ordered, and contact information was exchanged so that, once all the furniture had arrived, they could set up delivery.

“We still have a little bit before we have to go get Molly,” Chuck pointed out, “We could stop at Large Mart and see if they have some sheets and baby stuff there.”

“Okay,” Sarah nodded as she and Chuck walked hand-in-hand back to the car, “I know we don’t have time today, but do you think you could come with me to find a car? There’s only so much longer I can drive the rental before it starts to bleed me dry.”

“Sure,” He chuckled, opening the passenger door for her once more. “I’m actually going to be busy this weekend, but will next weekend work?”

“Next weekend is perfect,” Sarah smiled up at him as she slid into the seat. She usually preferred to do the driving but was finding that she rather enjoyed being a passenger while Chuck drove. She liked the way Chuck’s long fingers gently grasped the steering wheel, and how he liked to rest his arm on the center console. However, what she really liked was how he just naturally took her hand in his, running his thumb over her knuckles as he drove.

Safe, everything about Chuck made her feel safe. From the way his gentle smile put her at ease, to the way he held her hand, never pushing for more than she was willing to offer him. The way he was around her daughter, caring for them both as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him. She had never met anyone who made her feel safe the way he did. It was scary, and exciting, and overwhelming for her, but she was rapidly coming to accept that she wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Hey, what would you think about me getting a car seat for my Matrix?” Chuck asked, pausing at the display.

“Why would you need a car seat?” Sarah inquired, “And why do I get the feeling you bought that car because The Matrix is one of your favorite movies?”

“For Molly,” Chuck laughed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “And the movie wasn’t the only reason I bought it, it was highly rated for safety, and now it’s quite appropriate since I have the you-know-what locked up here,” He tapped his temple.

“Speaking of, how is that going, are you still getting headaches?” Sarah looked up at him concerned, “I noticed you tended to grimace after flashing before the dinner party.”

“Let’s just put it this way,” Chuck sighed, “We probably should buy stock in the company that manufactures Excedrin. I still get headaches, but it’s sure helping with my nightly briefs. I fly through those things now.”

“Oh, Chuck,” Sarah placed her hand on his cheek, “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want to worry you.” Chuck shrugged, lifting his hand to rest on hers.

“You do realize that is why I was partnered with you in the first place, don’t you?” Sarah reminded him, “I’m here to ensure your health and well-being, you big dope. You are the first and only Intersect recipient we have, we don’t know what to expect so far as the side effects of the download. You need to tell me these things.”

“I know,” Chuck nodded, “I’m sorry, I’ll tell you from now on.”

“Good,” Sarah smiled up at him, rising up on her toes to press a soft kiss to his lips. “Now, what kind of car seat are you thinking about getting.” She grinned at the confused look he gave her, “I know we haven’t been together very long, but I know you Charles Bartowski. I know you already did a copious amount of research and were just waiting for the right moment to bring it up.”

“You’re amazing,” He chuckled, “I was thinking the four-in-one, seems like the best investment based on what’s available in the market. It’s certified to be used from infancy all the way through when the child needs a booster seat with just a few adjustments and is compact enough to fit in a small sedan such as the one I drive.”

“You really like the convertible stuff,” Sarah smirked, “What is with that?”

“I think it came from being raised by Ellie,” Chuck shrugged, “Mom left just before my 10th birthday and while Dad was there he wasn’t really, you know _there,_ so it was pretty much Ellie and I. Ellie, at 15 years old, took over handling the family finances. From groceries to clothes and school supplies, even replacing the washer and dryer when it went kaput. We learned that it’s worth spending a little extra to get something that will last you the longest time.”

“So, by buying things that can be used for years to come, especially things that would typically be replaced as a child grows, is more fiscally responsible,” Sarah provided, understanding the logic.

“Right, I figure the amount spent on clothing can’t be helped,” Chuck shrugged, “Unless Ellie is willing to give you hand-me-downs from Clara for Molly, so it’d be helpful to do what we can with the other items that are needed.”

“Speaking of Ellie,” Sarah treaded carefully, “How are things in that arena?”

“She apologized after you left,” Chuck shrugged, “I’ve talk to Devon and seen Clara, but I try to go over when it’s just the two of them home. I’m still a little mad at her for treating you the way she did at the dinner party, and she’s being stubborn about apologizing to you about it. Unless and until she does that, I am going to keep my distance.”

“Chuck,” Sarah sighed, “I know your sister is important to you. You love each other so much, and you’re the only family either of you really have left, not counting Devon and Clara.”

“Don’t forget you and Molly,” Chuck added.

“What I mean is you don’t have to cut her off on my account,” Sarah continued, “If me being with you romantically is going to damage your relationship with Ellie, I will back off, even step out of your life if needed.”

“That is the last thing you need to do,” Chuck insisted, taking her hands in his, “This is not the way I wanted to say this or the place for that matter, but I love you, Sarah. I know it’s still early yet, and I don’t know how this thing in my head will affect us, but I hope someday we can make a life together.”

“Wow,” Sarah looked up at him wide-eyed, “Chuck, I…”

“It’s okay if you don’t feel it too,” Chuck shrugged, “I know that I probably should have waited longer to…”

Sarah shushed him, placing a hand over his mouth, “Chuck,” She smiled up at him, “I love you too.”

It was Chuck’s turn to be stunned, “Really?” He checked.

“Yes, really,” Sarah nodded, “Which also means I’m willing to walk away if it will save your relationship with Ellie. Your happiness is the most important thing to me, well after Molly and your safety, that is.”

“Move in with me,” Chuck blurted, flushing when he realized what he’d just said.

“Sorry?” Sarah blinked at him dumbfounded.

“You heard me,” Chuck’s face became peaceful as he realized that this was what he wanted, to build a life with this amazing woman in front of him, “Move in with me, please. Molly can have my old room and you can share with her… or with me, or we can start with the first arrangement and move to the second when you are ready.”

“Wow,” Sarah sighed, her mind racing, “Chuck, that is… are you sure?”

“As sure as I can be about anything,” Chuck smiled warmly at her, “You don’t have to decide right away, we have three weeks before Molly’s furniture will be ready to be delivered.”

“Okay,” Sarah spoke quietly.

“Okay?” Chuck asked hesitantly.

“Okay,” Sarah repeated, “We will move in with you, in three weeks.”

“You’re sure?” Chuck checked.

“As sure as I can be about anything,” Sarah grinned up at him, repeating his words. “Chuck, I have never felt this way about anyone, ever. If you are wanting to take those first steps towards building a life together, then I want to be walking along side you. Partners, both professionally and personally, although maybe we shouldn’t tell Graham about the full scope of it right away.”

“Wow,” Chuck laughed, “This is _so_ not the conversation to have in the middle of the Large Mart. Normal people don’t make big life decision in the middle of big box stores.”

“Who ever accused us of being normal?” Sarah chuckled, lifting up on her toes once more to kiss him. What she’d intended to be a soft, chaste kiss quickly became more as Chuck wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close and deepening the kiss. A soft moan escaped her lips as she felt him requesting entrance to her mouth. “Chuck,” She sighed as she felt one of his hands move up her back and bury itself in her long blond hair.

“Sarah,” Chuck murmured against her lips, “My beautiful, amazing, Sarah.”

Sarah grinned as the kiss slowed and they gradually released their desperate hold on one another. Clearing her throat, she turned her head to the display, “Get the seat,” She smiled walking away, “I’m going to go pick out some sheets for Molly’s bed.”

Smiling like the cat who caught the canary, Chuck quickly grabbed the car seat he’d spent hours researching and placed it in the cart before catching up with Sarah. They quietly discussed the adjustments that would need to be made around the apartment from converting the guest room into Molly’s room to safety proofing the unit, to the 30-foot rule and how they would apply it to their exact circumstances.

They’d paid for their purchases and had just sat down at the Large Mart’s small café when Sarah brought up one last thing that was weighing on her mind. “Chuck,” She spoke softly as he bit into the slice of pepperoni pizza he’d gotten, “You mentioned earlier today that you only carry a tranq gun on missions.”

Chuck slowly chewed his pizza and swallowed, taking a sip of his soda before responding, “Well not exclusively, I kinda have this thing about guns. I don’t like them.”

“Chuck, you do realize we go up against really bad people with very real, bullet firing guns, don’t you?” Sarah looked at him concerned.

“I know,” Chuck nodded, “Is that going to be a problem?”

“I hope not,” Sarah shook her head, “How did you ever pass your red test?”

“Because of my unique position within the company, I wasn’t required to have one,” Chuck shrugged.

“I don’t understand,” Sarah looked up at him, “I could have sworn your file said you held expert ranking in all fields.”

“I do,” Chuck nodded, “I said I don’t like guns, not that I don’t know how to use them. I can use them just fine. I do carry live rounds, but I refuse to use one against another human unless I have an extremely good reason.”

“Like what?” Sarah challenged him.

“You, Molly, Ellie, or anyone I care about, or am sworn to protect, being in immediate, mortal danger and the absolutely only way to get you out of said danger is to…” Chuck swallowed thickly, “Eliminate the threat against your life.”

Sarah stared across the table at him, processing what he’d just said, “So say for some reason, a bad guy has me, is holding a gun to my head and is going to kill me in front of you…”

Chucks eyes grew dark and dangerous, his voice like steel, “Bastard had better have his life insurance paid up, because he’s not leaving without a body bag.”

Sarah blinked, not knowing what to say. A tremor came over her, and warmth spread throughout her body. Even though she wasn’t in any immediate danger, it was amazing the change she saw in Chuck at the mere suggestion of her being threatened. His eyes intense, jaw set, as his back straightened, and his arms tensed, hands and fingers twitching for a weapon. It would be terrifying if not for the fact his eyes shifted to meet hers, assurance that he would protect her from any foe, real or imagined, radiating within them.

Just as quickly as the change over took him, it faded, but his eyes never left her. The intense love and desire to protect her never faded, the look he gave her made her want to melt into the floor. Chuck cleared his voice as the rest of his body relaxed, “That was intense,” He chuckled self-depreciatively, “But every word is true. I will protect you, and Molly with my life.”

Sarah didn’t say a word, she simply stood, walked around the table and pulled him to his feet, attacking his lips with her own, her love, gratitude, and everything within her pouring into the kiss. She smiled as she heard him gasp her name as he pulled her flush with him, his fingers twitching with the desire to pull her closer.

“Sarah, Baby,” He gasped, “Not here, home.”

“Okay,” She slowly disengaged her hands from where they were grasped onto his shirt and playing with the curls that were starting to form at the base of his neck.

Chuck didn’t say another word, simply took her hand in his and the cart in the other and quickly pulled her back to the car, neither caring that they’d left their barely touched food on the table. Disarming the car, he made quick work of loading the trunk with their purchases before sliding behind the wheel and heading home by the quickest route the Intersect could devise.

Sarah almost didn’t remember the drive home, the quick walk to his door, or the blind stumble to Chuck’s room, as the moment the front door closed behind them, his lips were fused to hers. “We don’t have a lot of time,” Chuck murmured kissing her neck, “Next time I’ll take my time, but for right now we only have 20 minutes.”

“Chuck?” She sighed.

“Yes?”

“Shut up.” Sarah squealed when a growl escaped Chuck’s lips as he pushed her back on the bed, redoubling his efforts, quickly removing her shirt as she kicked off her shoes. Before long, his shirt and shoes joined hers in a pile on the floor and his lips were exploring the shape of her collar bone as his nimble fingers made quick work of the closure of her jeans as she pushed his jeans down from his hips, leaving them in their underwear, necking like a couple of teenagers.

“My God, you’re beautiful,” Chuck whispered as their last pieces of clothing were quickly done away with.

“Chuck,” Sarah whispered, catching his attention, “Now.”

“As you wish,” He whispered against her neck as he fulfilled her demand, grinning at the sound emanating from her as he built her up and over the peak of their mutual extasy. His body was thrumming as he felt her come apart in his arms.

“Chuck!” She cried as he built her up once more, making her body vibrate around him, feeling his echoing pulse as they clung to each other.

Minutes later, she was curled up in his arms, head resting on his shoulder as his fingers traced patterns on her lower back. “Wow, if that’s what you can do in 20 minutes, I can’t wait to see what you can do when we have more time.” She sighed, her breath whispering against the dusting of hair on his chest.

“I can’t wait to show you what I can do with no restrictions on our time,” He chuckled. “I’m rather interested to see that myself. I’ve never… experienced anything like that before.”

“Me either,” She sighed, lifting her head slightly to view the time on her watch, groaning when she saw the time, “It’s nearly seven, I think if we’re really quick about it, we have time for a shower before I go to pick up Molly.”

“Can you move? I don’t know if I can move after that,” Chuck sighed, “But I’m pretty sure the Earth moved just then.”

“If you get up right now,” She cooed, her hand slowly drifting down his torso, “I promise to make it worth your while.”

“Hey-oh!” His eyes shot open before he turned and gave her a mischievous look, “You better run,” He warned.

Sarah squealed as she jumped up and raced toward the bathroom, barely making it before his arms were around her once more, his lips on hers as they made their way to the shower stall in a mess of legs and feet. Chuck released one arm long enough to turn on the water and adjust the temperature before guiding them under the warm stream. It didn’t take long to get going again, and neither were in a good state to last long anyhow, quickly coming together, Sarah’s back pressed against the cool tile of the small shower. Sated for the time being, they made quick work of washing each other’s hair and body before wrapping themselves in towels and sprinting back to the bedroom to retrieve their clothes.

“Do you think if we called Furniture ‘n Stuff they’d put a rush on Molly’s crib?” Chuck fastened his jeans around his waist.

“Couldn’t hurt to ask,” Sarah shrugged as she fastened her bra, “Why?”

“I don’t think I can wait three weeks to have you home with me all the time.” Chuck pulled her close and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before releasing her to hunt down his shirts.

“Well, we could always just bring the bassinette over for her to sleep in until the crib is delivered.” Sarah suggested.

“I like the way your mind works,” Chuck grinned at her, “But so long as she is in the bassinette, I think she should be in here with us. I worry about her falling out of the thing.”

“She’s four months old,” Sarah chuckled, “I don’t think she has the ability just yet.”

“Better safe than sorry,” Chuck shrugged bending over to tie his shoes.

“You take such good care of us,” Sara cooed, taking his face in her hand and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “What would you think of us moving it up a couple weeks; move us in next weekend?”

“I suppose I can wait that long,” Chuck smiled against her lips, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She stepped back, letting him stand up as they headed for the living room, so Sarah could grab her jacket and the gym bag where her suit had been packed away. “Are we horrible parents leaving Molly in daycare, just so we can have sex?”

“You make it sound so cheap,” Chuck teased, kissing her hand as they crossed the courtyard, “No, I don’t think it does. I mean parents leave their kids with other family members all the time, so they can get a way for a weekend of uninterrupted canoodling.”

“Did you really just use the word ‘canoodling?’” Sarah scoffed as Chuck as they approached the car.

“Yes, I did,” Chuck bent down to press a soft kiss to her lips, “Did you not notice you referred to both of us as Molly’s parents?”

“Is that weird for you?” She checked.

“Not as much as I would have thought,” Chuck smiled, “It may just be the fact I’ve been occasionally pretending to be her father since the day we met.”

“That has to be it,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “I’ll call you when we get home. I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.”

“Alright,” Chuck kissed her deeply, “I love you too, Sarah. Drive safe, and give Molly a kiss from me.”

“Okay,” Sarah smiled sliding behind the wheel of the car, adjusting the seat to fit her smaller frame before starting the ignition and driving away as the sun began its descent over the ocean. By the time she arrived at Anne’s place, it was dusk.

Thankfully, it was quicker to pick Molly up than it was to drop her off. Thanking Anne, Sarah loaded a sleepy Molly into her carrier. The carrier locked into it’s base with little difficulty and the diaper bag wound up on the floor in front of the baby’s seat. 25 minutes later, Sarah had the carrier over her arm, diaper bag, gym bag, and purse over her shoulder as she fumbled with her keys.

Emma had heard the car in the drive and already had the door open by the time Sarah had reached the bottom step of the porch. “Someone had a long day,” She commented noticing the sleeping infant. Then catching a whiff of her daughter’s hair as she passed, Emma grinned, “Apparently she wasn’t the only one.”

Sarah just gave her mother a look that said the discussion would continue in a moment. Dropping her bags in the foyer, she set down the carrier, gently lifting the sleeping baby into her arms and carrying her up the stairs to her room. She quickly changed Molly’s diaper and got her into her pajamas before laying her in the bassinet and turning on the baby monitor, taking the receiver with her back to the living room where her mother greeted her with a large glass of rosé.

“Spill,” The single word both a request and an order as her mother led her into the living room and onto the couch where they sat sipping their wine.

“I don’t even know where to start,” Sarah shook her head.

“The beginning is generally best,” Emma teased.

“Okay,” Sarah took a deep breath, “We found out this morning that there were three office spaces that would work for Chuck’s expanding tech firm, so we dropped Molly off at day care and went to go check them out.”

“Did he decide which one he preferred?” Emma asked.

“We haven’t decided yet,” Sarah shrugged, not missing the arched eye brow from her mother, “You know I can’t tell you a lot about what I do, but I can tell you that Chuck and I are partners in more ways than one. His company is only a part of what we do, and what we will be doing is much less dangerous than what I had been doing, but I will be working, with him, there.”

“Okay,” Emma nodded.

“The office search wasn’t my original plan for the day,” Sarah shrugged, “To be honest, I was hoping to be able to go shopping and get some things for Molly. Luckily, it didn’t take long to check out the office buildings, and we wound up with time to deal with that, too.”

“Did you find anything?” Emma took a sip of her wine.

“Yes,” Sara smiled, “We found this darling bedroom set with a crib, a dresser, and a changing table, all painted white. We also found one of those gliding rockers and it matched the set we’d gotten perfectly. Unfortunately, the crib and dresser are on back order, Chuck’s going to be calling tomorrow to see if there is any way to get a rush order.”

“Why do you need it rushed?” Her mother looked at her, “There’s barely any space in that room of yours as it is, where will you put it all.”

“Well, that brings us to the next part,” Sarah blushed, “He asked me to move in with him.”

“Samantha,” Emma sighed.

“I know, I know, it seems fast,” Sarah nodded, “But there’s just something about him. I can see a future with him. Him, me, Molly, a little boy with dark curly hair, hazel eyes, and a mischievous grin… I said yes.”

“Are you sure?” Emma checked, concern on her face, “You’ve only been together a short time, you need to be careful. It’s not just your heart at risk here, but his and Molly’s too.”

“Mom, I love him,” Sarah’s voice held a resolve that ceased her mother’s questions. Emma took one look at her daughter’s peaceful face and the smile that played on the younger woman’s lips was infectious.

“Okay then,” Emma patted her daughter’s leg, “But please know there is no rush for you to move out. I like having you and Molly here.”

“I know, Mom,” Sarah gave her mother a reassuring smile, “But this just feels right. I want you to be happy for me.”

“I am,” Emma smiled softly at her only child, “You do know I have to meet him, now, right?”

“We’ll have you over once everything is settled.” Sarah nodded, taking the last sip of her wine. “I have a little work to do, and then I’ll head to bed.”

“Did you eat dinner while you were out?” Emma asked, an evaluating look running over her daughter.

“Well we ordered pizza at Large Mart,” Sarah shrugged, “But we didn’t actually get around to eating it.”

“I’m not going to ask why,” Emma chuckled, “There are certain things a mother doesn’t need to know about her adult child. I’ll warm up some of the chicken and rice I made earlier.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Sarah gave her mother an appreciative look, “I’ll be in the study.”

“Alright,” Emma nodded, heading for the kitchen with the wine glasses. A few minutes later, she found Sarah laptop on the desk against the far wall, waiting for the system to boot up. “Here’s your dinner before you get into anything too classified.”

“Thanks,” Sarah gave her mom a small smile before taking a bite of the creamy casserole. “At some point, you’re going to have to give me all these recipes.”

“Why?” Emma teased, “Can Chuck cook?”

“I can learn,” Sarah protested, “Now, go away, I have important agent-ish things to do.”

“Alright,” Emma nodded, heading for the door, “In case I haven’t said so, I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Sarah turned to meet her mother’s eyes, “I’m proud of me, too.”

Hearing the door click upon her mother’s exit, Sarah quickly downloaded the day’s info packet to review. There was nothing new to report, a few minor skirmishes between bad guys and other agents, nothing remotely near the LA area. A notice she would need to re-up her quals soon. And lastly the lists of the most wanted from the FBI, CIA, NSA, and the FCC. Interestingly enough the same pseudonym popped up on a couple of the lists. It wasn’t an actual name, but a hacker’s screen name, Piranha. He’d been relatively dormant for years or had at least gotten better about hiding his already nearly untraceable tracks. The closest anyone had ever gotten was to narrow his location down to the west coast. With a passing thought that once Carmichael CyberSecurity was up and running, maybe she and Chuck could try to find this Piranha and bring him to justice, she logged off and went upstairs to bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chuck and Sarah had been busy since they’d toured the potential office spaces. They’d met the next day to decide on which they liked the best and agreed the first space they’d seen was where they would set up shop. They also had gone with the suggestion to combine two of the private offices into a smaller conference room. They wouldn’t have to wait long before they could officially take over the space.

They had been told that it would take about a month for the construction of the small conference room to be completed but would be able to use the rest of the office space starting in about a week. Chuck was relieved as it gave him time to research the potential members of their team and narrow it down to a few potential candidates. He’d checked with Graham and was informed that he could start off with group of six agents, not including himself or Sarah. He’d spend the rest of the day trying to narrow down the list and had it down to 10 potentials. He would be flying to DC to meet with them in the following week.

Along with the office news and the potential analysts being added to the team, Chuck and Sarah had been alerted to a potential bomb threat at the Grand Ambassador where General Stanfield was due to give a speech. They’d been running errands and had stopped by the Buy More to pick up some data cable and a couple CDs he thought Sarah would like when the video wall shifted to a live feed of the Generals motorcade arriving in LA causing Chuck to flash. Not long after, Chuck had a secondary flash on the hotel, clueing them into the potential of a bomb threat there.

Leaving Molly with her grandmother for the night, Sarah and Chuck had rushed over to the Grand Ambassador. After startling a few of the servers and getting word to one of the General’s aides that there was a potential bomb threat, the room was cleared, allowing Chuck and Sarah to try to locate and disarm the bomb. By the time they’d found it, the timer was already low and the Intersect was offering no help as to the best way to disarm the bomb.

It’s wasn’t until Chuck noticed that the computer connected to the bomb was the same as the one his friend, Morgan, had just crashed by accessing Irene Demova’s website and inadvertently downloading a virus. Figuring they had nothing to lose, they tried it. Much to their relief, it worked! They’d rushed back to Chuck’s apartment to debrief Graham and later, once the director was off the phone, each other. Sarah almost didn’t want to leave Chuck’s embrace later that night.

“More incentive to get you and Molly moved in quickly,” Chuck had hummed against her neck as he spooned against her. He was just as reluctant to let her go, but knew she needed to get home to her daughter. Slowly, but surely, Sarah got up and out of the bed and gotten dressed. Kissing Chuck goodbye, she hopped into her rental car and headed back to her mother’s house to the room she and her daughter shared.

Saturday morning had dawned brightly, waking Sarah from her pleasant dreams. Almost as if she sensed her mother’s awakened state, Molly began to cry. “Okay, Baby, I’m coming,” Sarah responded, rolling out of bed and gathering the girl into her arms.

Once Molly was changed fed and dressed, Sarah put her in the bouncy chair Chuck had found while they were out running their errands and insisted the child needed. The bouncing and vibrating seat seemed to please the infant long enough for Sarah to get in to the shower and get dressed.

“What do you think, Baby?” Sarah asked her daughter, closet open. “Yeah, I think so, too,” She smiled as Molly babbled. Sarah pulled out a green t-shirt, brown cardigan, and a pair of boot-cut dark jeans that fit her upper legs and back side well before relaxing below her knee. She quickly pulled her outfit on before grabbing a pair of suede ankle boots with a slight heel. Walking toward where her daughter’s bouncy chair sat on the dresser, Sarah did a small spin, “What do you think? Does Mama look good enough for a day with Chuck?”

With a small giggle, Sarah quickly packed Molly’s diaper bag with the essentials for the day, a change of clothes, diapers, blanket, bottles, and formula. “Alright, let’s go!” She grinned, slipping the strap of the diaper bag and her purse over her shoulder before placing her daughter in her carrier and heading out the door.

It didn’t take long for Sarah and Molly to arrive at Chuck’s apartment, and just as before, he’d been waiting for them. As they crossed the courtyard, Sarah looked toward where he stood in his door way, the sight nearly took her breath away. He was wearing a red Stanford t-shirt and a pair of comfortable grey and red flannel pajama pants, he’d crossed his bare feet at his ankles, and was leaning against his door frame, cup of coffee in his hand and an easy smile on his lips.

“Good morning, beautiful,” He leaned down to kiss Sarah when she approached him, “And good morning to you, Sweet Pea,” He added, relieving Sarah of the baby carrier in her arms. He quickly set the carrier on the table and had released the baby from the safety straps and had her cradled against his chest.

No matter how many times she’d seen him do the same thing over the past several weeks, she couldn’t help but notice how natural he looked with the child in his arms. He looked just as natural working on a computer, she couldn’t help but find him incredibly sexy.

“Would you like some coffee?” Chuck offered from the kitchen, “I just brewed a fresh pot.”

“Coffee would be good,” Sarah smiled at him, dropping her purse and the diaper bag on the easy chair before taking a seat on the couch. “Do you need me to take Molly?”

“No, we got it, don’t we Moll?” Chuck returned, the handles of both mugs in the hand of his free arm. Turning her cup to her to take, he took a seat next to her, sitting the baby on his lap, resting against his chest.

“I still can’t believe how good you are with her,” Sarah chuckled.

“It’s a gift,” Chuck shrugged, “Or it’s just her, Molly usually calms down pretty quickly when I hold her, but Clara doesn’t, she’ll just keep screaming. That’s not to say she hates me holding her, but when she’s worked up, I can’t get her to calm down as easily as I can with Molly.”

“Molly is a pretty easy baby,” Sarah agreed.

“Must get it from her mother,” Chuck teased.

“Um, Chuck,” Sarah looked at him hesitantly, “About that…”

“Yeah?” He turned to her, but they weren’t able to continue their conversation as his front door suddenly burst open.

“Please tell me you have coffee!” Ellie, dressed in her typical blue scrubs from work, demanded. Chuck wasn’t sure if she was coming or going but knew there was only one response when she was like this.

“Fresh, in the pot, Elle,” He called over his shoulder, shooting Sarah an apologetic look.

“Mmmm,” Ellie let out a moan akin to the sounds Chuck was still trying to scrub from his brain from the short time he had lived in the same apartment with her and Awesome, “You always have the best coffee, where do you even get this stuff?”

“Top secret, Elle” Chuck called over his shoulder as he saw his sister starting to emerge from the kitchen again, “Programmers only, sorry.”

“You suck,” She groused, flopping down on the easy chair that wasn’t occupied by Sarah’s bags. She sat for a moment before her eyes drifted over to Sarah, then Chuck, and the baby in his lap. “Um, Chuck. Why are you holding a baby at,” She checked her watch, “Eight-thirty in the morning?”

“Sarah came over and brought Molly with her,” Chuck explained calmly, “We are going car shopping today.”

“So, this thing of yours is still going on?” His older sister asked.

“Yes, it is, Elle,” Chuck nodded, “Are you going to tell me why you felt it was necessary to barge into my home with no warning or invitation?”

“I take it you’re still mad,” Ellie sighed.

“What gave that away?” Chuck quirked an eyebrow at his sister.

“You don’t have to take that tone with me, Charles Irving” She groused.

“I will take whatever tone with you I wish,” Chuck countered, “You are in my home, uninvited, Eleanor Fae.”

“You’ve never minded it before,” Ellie was getting petulant.

“You’ve never insulted the woman I’m involved with to her face unapologetically before. You didn’t even do that to Jill.” Chuck reminded her, “So as I see it, you have two options. You can either leave or you can apologize to Sarah and you can stay and meet her and Molly while you enjoy your coffee.”

“Okay, fine, this has gone on long enough,” Ellie sighed, “Sarah, I’m sorry I insulted you and insinuated less than appropriate things about you and your situation.”

“It’s okay,” Sarah nodded, “I know you were just trying to protect Chuck. I promise you, the last thing I want to or plan to do is hurt him. I know that it seems strange that we are so close when we’ve only known each other a few weeks, trust me I find it odd too, but I do truly care for Chuck.”

“Okay,” Ellie nodded, “I promise I’ll give you a fair break, but if you hurt him, all bets are off.”

“I understand.” Sarah nodded, “Now, would you like to meet my daughter?”

“I would like that,” Ellie gave Chuck and Sarah a nervous smile.

“Ellie, meet Amalia,” Chuck beamed down at the little girl in his lap, “We call her Molly.”

“She’s beautiful,” Ellie cooed, sitting forward on her seat, cradling her cup of coffee in her hands.

“Thank you,” Sarah blushed, looking lovingly at the little girl who was now the center of attention.

“How old is she again?” Ellie inquired.

“Four and a half months,” Sarah shrugged.

“You know, I have a daughter who is nearly a year old,” Ellie turned to Sarah, “Her birthday is in a couple weeks, you’re welcome to come. I’d like for Clara and Molly to get to know each other, if you’re okay with it.”

“I appreciate the birthday invite, but maybe we can hold off on play dates for a little longer?” Sarah suggested, “One step at a time.”

“Okay, I can respect that,” Ellie blushed, “I know I didn’t treat you fairly when we first met, I’ll try to do better in the future.” She took one last sip of her coffee before setting the empty cup on the coffee table, “Gotta get to the hospital, see you two later. Good luck on finding a car.”

“Thanks,” Sarah nodded, “Have a good day at work.”

“Thank you,” Ellie nodded, heading toward the door.

Chuck rose, Molly still in his arms, bracing the girl against his shoulder once more, “One sec, Elle.” He met her by the door, “Thank you for apologizing to Sarah. You have no idea how much it means to both of us.”

“You’re welcome,” Ellie placed a gentle hand on his bicep, “You know, you look really good with that baby in your arms.”

“Nah,” Chuck shrugged, “She does all the work.” He gave his sister a one-armed hug, “Have a good day, Elle.”

“You too, Chuck,” With one last smile Ellie exited the apartment and headed off to work.

“Well that was unexpected,” Sarah shook her head, a little bewildered at the events that had just occurred. “I didn’t expect her to apologize so soon, or at all.”

“As much as I love you, Sarah,” Chuck sighed, sitting back on the couch and settling Molly on his lap once more, “I think she was just trying to get me to stop freezing her out; she had apologized to me after you left that night, but I wasn’t who she needed to apologize to. We may still have a way to go with her. She may not say anything for a while, but the longer we’re together, the more she’ll come to accept you aren’t going anywhere and therefore accept you.”

“Well then,” Sarah leaned into his shoulder, tickling her daughter’s stomach, “I guess you’ll just have to keep us around, then.” She smiled up at her boyfriend, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, “So you said you’d done some research and come up with a few options you wanted me to look at?”

“Yeah,” Chuck nodded, “But before Ellie burst in here, you were about to say something about Molly?”

“Oh, um,” Sarah sighed, “Okay, well here it goes. Molly isn’t mine. Or at least she isn’t biologically mine.”

“Really?” Chuck looked between the girl on his lap and the woman sitting beside him, seeing the same blue eyes, blonde hair, and pale skin, “Wow, I never would have guessed that.”

“Yeah,” Sarah blushed, “There’s more.”

“More than you being my hero for adopting a baby as a single parent?” Chuck raised his eyebrow at her.

“Yeah,” Sarah took a deep breath, bracing herself.

“What is it?” Chuck looked concerned, “What’s wrong?”

“When you met us, I was on my way back from a mission that I’d cut short.” Sarah explained. “A couple months ago, I was approached by Kieran Ryker for a mission.”

“Wow,” Chuck nodded, “Impressive, that is a great opportunity.”

“You might change your mind on that in a minute.” Sarah warned, “The job was to go to Hungary and secure a package from a mansion there. When we arrived, we found out that the people who owned the property had been murdered and the house had been taken over by members of the criminal element who had done the killing.”

“Wait, the hitmen were still there?” Chuck looked at her perplexed, “That seems a little odd to me.”

“It did to me as well,” Sarah agreed, “Ryker told me that I had to go in, kill them and secure the package. I found them in the dining room, all sitting around drinking, congratulating themselves. I followed the directive; I shot and killed all the men at that table. Later, I found out that they only reason they were still there is that they were under orders to kill the family and then settle in the dining area for further instructions.”

“Did you get the package?” Chuck inquired.

“Yes,” Sarah nodded slowly, “Only it wasn’t what I was expecting. Once I’d taken care of the hitmen, I reported to Ryker who gave me instructions on where to find the package. As I opened the door, the first thing that caught my eye was the design on a vintage crib in the room. The next was a baby’s cry.”

“Molly,” Chuck whispered, “Poor girl, losing her parents like that.”

“I reported to Ryker that I hadn’t found a package, but that there was an infant in the house,” Sarah continued, “He told me the baby was the package. I got the feeling that something wasn’t right, so I picked Molly up, dumped my watch and my phone, and got out of the house unseen by Ryker and his men. I later found out the mission was unsanctioned. Ryker just wanted Molly.”

“Why would he travel half way around the world for some random child?” Chuck asked.

“Chuck, Molly’s birth name is Izabella Batori.” Sarah saw the intersect working across Chuck’s face.

“Oh my God,” Chuck flashed on the name then swore under his breath, “That bastard! He ordered the hit on her parents, just so he could claim their fortune?”

“Which I found out later,” Sarah nodded, taking Molly’s hand in hers, “I knew I couldn’t go back to Ryker and his team. I reported Ryker’s actions and that the package was no longer in my possession and went to ground. Using some of my father’s connections, I was able to secure new identities under which to travel within a few days.”

“Which is how I came to meet Sarah and Lisa Browne,” Chuck nodded, understanding, “I am so sorry you both had to go through that. Does Ryker know where you are?”

“I don’t think so,” Sarah shrugged, “He doesn’t know I have ties to the area and me being assigned to be your partner is need-to-know and he is not on that very short list that need to know. It’s been a couple months now, and he hasn’t come for me.”

“Which could be either really good, or really, really bad,” Chuck sighed before straitening his back, resolve written over his handsome features, “You have to know I wouldn’t let anything happen to either of you. If he comes after you, I will protect you.”

“I know Chuck,” Sarah nodded, “I appreciate that.”

“So, if you technically kidnapped an orphan,” Chuck led, “How is it that you got clearance to adopt her?”

“I went through the process of having Molly declared a foundling and therefore available for adoption while simultaneously fast-tracking my adoption petition under my birth name Samantha Novak. Since that identity has long since been buried due to my father’s chosen profession and also the identities I’ve had to assume through the CIA, it would be difficult for Ryker to track the adoption back to me. Graham knows, he’s seen her, kind of hard to avoid when he video conferences me while I’m taking care of Molly.”

“He’s keeping it under wraps, I’m guessing.” Chuck pondered, “So, you are now the adoptive guardian of an infant heiress to a sizable fortune.”

“Yeah,” Sarah nodded, “I made sure to keep the documents verifying her identity, they’re hidden in a drop box for now. I plan to tell her about it and give her the documents when she’s an adult, so she can claim what is rightfully hers. I haven’t decided which age it will be, but I plan to wait until she is at least out of high school.”

“Until then, Molly will just be the regular girl next door.” Chuck supplied.

“Exactly,” Sarah agreed, “I want her to have as normal of a life as I can possibly provide her. With a job like ours, that will be a feat, but I am hoping I’ll figure out a way.”

“We will figure out a way,” Chuck corrected, “I agree with you that she should have as normal of a childhood as possible and that her money is only to be touched by her. I will be by your side to help you with her, I want to be by your side.”

“That’s really sweet,” Sarah smiled.

“Only for my girls,” Chuck whispered, leaning to press a kiss to Sarah’s lips. “Feel better to share the burden?”

“Yeah,” Sarah smiled up at him, “My mom knows some of it, but not everything. Thank you for not judging me.”

“What are partners for?” Chuck grinned, “And by my count, you are just trying to protect Molly from those who would take advantage of her.”

“Thank you,” Sarah smiled, kissing him once more, “Okay, now to the purpose of us coming over this morning. You said you had done some research?”

“A little,” Chuck shrugged, balancing Molly to rest against his shoulder as he stood and collected his laptop.

“You know you don’t have to carry her everywhere,” Sarah teased, “I don’t mind holding her once in a while.”

“I know,” Chuck gave her an easy smile, “I want to.” A moment later he was sitting back on the couch and waking his computer up, “Now before we get too much into this, is there type of vehicle you don’t want?”

“No vans, no pickups,” Sarah shook her head.

“Okay, so you’re thinking sedans or SUVs?” Chuck confirmed.

“Sedans and _small_ SUVs,” Sarah amended, “I don’t want some big, hulking, gas-guzzling, thing.”

“Gotcha,” Chuck nodded, pressing a few buttons, “So we have narrowed it down to these,” He showed her the screen, “Why don’t you look over them and narrow it down to 2 or 3 models before we go. I’m going to take Molly into the guest room and change her, she’s got a stinky butt.”

Sarah couldn’t help but laugh at the phrasing, “Charles Bartowski, you are one in a million.”

“Why thank you, Sarah,” Chuck grinned, grabbing the diaper bag from the chair and heading down the hall, baby in his arms. “Let’s get you freshened up, Sweet Pea.”

Sarah was able to narrow the selections down to two sedans and a SUV by the time Chuck returned. Diaper bag over his shoulder and Molly in a bouncy chair. “Where did that come from?” Sarah asked, then noticed her daughter’s clothes had been changed. “And why is she in a different outfit?”

“Well, little miss had a bit of an explosion,” He shrugged.

“Oh no, I’m sorry,” Sarah looked mortified, “You could have called me.”

“Nah, it’s okay,” Chuck shrugged, “We were fine, nothing a bath couldn’t fix, right Sweet Pea? Thankfully the sinks in the bathroom are big enough for the task.”

“You’re amazing,” Sarah shook her head in disbelief, and then noticed he had changed too. He had changed into a red henleywith the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows, and a pair of relaxed jeans sat low on his hips, and on his feet were his ever-present black converse sneakers, “Did she get you too?”

“The explosion didn’t get me,” Chuck gave her a half smile, “But little miss water baby apparently likes to splash when taking a bath.”

“Sorry, had I known, I would have warned you.” Sarah laughed.

“It’s okay,” Chuck shrugged, “I needed a shower anyhow. Once I had her cleaned up and dressed, I just popped her in her little seat here, took a quick shower and got dressed, no biggie.”

“You could have brought her out here,” Sarah chuckled.

“I had the seat in the spare room, and it was just faster to pop her in there while I did my thing than to bring her all the way out here and then take a shower.” Chuck shrugged. 

“You’re probably right,” Sarah gave him a mischievous grin, “If I’d seen you all wet like that, I don’t think I would be able to resist joining you in the shower.”

“Maybe next time,” Chuck shrugged, taking a seat next to her, “So have we narrowed down the options?”

“Yeah,” Sarah turned the laptop to him, “I think I’ll check out the Camry, the Matrix, and the RAV-4.”

“Alright then,” Chuck nodded, “Do you want to take my car or the rental?”

“Why don’t we take the rental?” Sarah suggested, “Since Little Miss is with us, it’s easier to use the carrier than to unbuckle and re-buckle the car seat you have in your car.”

“Sounds good,” Chuck smiled as he stood and offered his hand to assist her up. “You get the bags, I’ll get the keys and the baby.”

“Let’s go!” Sarah was excited to find a new car.

Chuck and Sarah arrived at the first lot and had barely started perusing the cars when a portly man approached them. Chuck flashed and whispered in Sarah’s ear, “Sarah, we should probably go, this man’s name is Victor Handscomb. His wrap sheet includes larceny, fraud, and forgery. IRS is also compiling a case against him for tax evasion.”

“Can I help you folks today?” The man gave them a slick smile.

“No, thank you,” Sarah smiled back at him, “You really don’t have what we are looking for.”

“Are you sure?” Handscomb inquired, “You seemed interested in that matrix.”

“We already have a matrix at home,” Chuck shrugged, starting to guide Sarah back to the rental car, “Thank you for your time, though.”

The next lot wasn’t much better, nearly half of the cars were stolen or totaled for parts. “Ugh, are there no honest people left in the world?” Sarah huffed as they stopped at Buy More Plaza to grab lunch at Lou’s.

“I guess not, but we’ll keep looking,” Chuck assured her, opening the door for her to enter the restaurant ahead of him, “Half a Chuck and salad?”

“Bottle of water too,” Sarah added, “Oh and if she has warm or hot water, that too. Molly is gonna want to eat soon, too.”

“Got it,” Chuck smiled, “I’ll got place the order, you find us a seat.”

Sarah found a long table with two chairs on either side. She set Molly’s carrier in the seat next to her and picked the girl up, setting her in her lap while they waited for Chuck to return. When he did, he wasn’t alone.

“Oh, is this the little angel?” Lou cooed, setting their drinks on the table and crouching down to get a better look at the baby, “She is even more precious in person.”

“Thank you,” Sarah blushed.

“Oh, Chuck asked if I had hot water,” Lou popped up again, “If you give me one of her bottles, I can make sure I get the right mix of hot and cool water for her bottle.”

“That would be great, Lou,” Sarah nodded turning to Chuck, “Chuck, could you? Her bag is on your side of the table.”

“Of course,” He nodded, pulling the receptacle from the bag and handing it to Lou, “Here you go.”

“Be right back,” Lou smiled and bounced away.

Chuck offered to hold Molly while Sarah ate, “This little shopping trip of ours is taking longer than I’d originally anticipated, no thanks to,” He tapped his temple.

“Not your fault,” Sarah assured him, taking a bite of her salad, “You probably saved me from getting swindled.”

“Well I hope we can find you something today from a trustworthy source,” Chuck sighed, “In any event, by the time we finish it will probably be late. I know we planned to bring your stuff over from your mom’s today as well, but we may run out of hours in the day. I know it sounds like I’m putting you off, but that’s not the case. I honestly can’t wait for you to move in.”

“I know, Babe. We can always do it tomorrow,” Sarah shrugged, “To be honest with everything this week, I haven’t had a chance to pack what little we have.”

“Alright, so tomorrow it is.” Chuck smiled, “Do you need me to come by your mom’s and help you load up your things?”

“No,” Sarah shook her head, “We don’t have much and what we are taking with us will fit in a couple suitcases, I should be fine to get it loaded up on my own, although I won’t refuse your help in unloading once I get home.”

“Deal,” Chuck smiled as Sarah finished her salad and gestured for the baby to be returned to her. Chuck noticed Lou’s approach and quickly handed over Molly to her mother so that he could prep her bottle.

Lou handed over the bottle and watched as Chuck efficiently made the formula and tested it on his wrist, “Wow, you’re an old pro at that.”

“I had a lot of practice, first with Clara and now with Molly,” Chuck shrugged modestly, handing the bottle over to Sarah.

“Don’t believe him,” Sarah chuckled, “He’s a natural with a lot of things. Molly was a little messier than usual this morning and he volunteered to not only change her but bathe and redress her as well.”

“Chuck,” Lou grinned at him, “I always knew you had it in you.”

“Had what?” He asked.

“Natural paternal instinct.” Lou grinned, pulling up a chair, “Sarah, why don’t you hand Molly to me, I can feed her while you and Chuck finish your sandwiches.”

“That would be great, thank you,” Sarah nodded to her new friend, “Alright, Little Miss, Auntie Lou is gonna give you your bottle, so Mama and Chuck can eat.”

Sarah handed the infant over to her friend who quickly settled the little girl in her arms and offered her the bottle, which Molly drank eagerly. “Hey little one,” Lou smiled down at the baby who was watching her with bright blue eyes, “I think you are one of the most beautiful babies I’ve ever seen.”

They heard the bells on the front door ring, but no one seemed to be entering the shop. Chuck looked up from his sandwich to see Scott, slack-jawed with wide eyes, standing just inside the door. “Ladies, I think we’ve broken Scott.”

Lou just looked toward the door, a wide grin on her face, “Scotty,” She teased, “You gonna come in or are you gonna stand there all day?”

Scott shook his head as if to clear the shock, “C-comin’ in, definitely coming in.” He slowly made his way to the table, Lou and the baby she held were his sole focus as he crossed the room. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Lou smiled up at him softly before nodding to a chair behind him, “Grab a chair, I want you to meet someone. Scott, this is Sarah’s daughter, Molly.”

The little girl stared up at him around the bottle, wide blue eyes taking in everything. “Hello Miss Molly.” He reached out and let her take one of his long fingers in her own small hand, awe written across his face. “She’s smaller than I’d expected.”

“She’s only four months old, Scott,” Lou chuckled, “But look at her Mama, she’s gonna grow out of that soon.”

Sarah blushed, “She already is, you should have seen how small she was when we were in Paris.”

“She was pretty tiny back then,” Chuck agreed, “But she’s growing fast.”

Lou nodded, looking over at her fiancé’s awed face, “Don’t you go getting any ideas, mister.” She jokingly chided, “We still have a wedding to get through and we already agreed to wait at least a full year before even thinking about the ‘B’ word in regard to one of our own.”

“I know,” Scott cleared his throat, “I know, Sweetheart, I just can’t get over how good you look holding her.” He leaned in to whisper in her ear, “It’s doing things to me that I can’t say in polite company.”

Lou just blushed. Chuck noticed both the reactions of the engaged couple and the fact that the bottle Molly was drinking was empty and motioned to Lou, “If you two need to step away for a moment, I can take her.”

“Okay,” Lou nodded, setting the bottle down and handing the child over to Chuck who threw a burp cloth over his shoulder with a practiced ease and lifted the little girl to his shoulder, patting and rubbing her back in a smooth motion until a small belch could be heard.

“I, um,” Lou flushed, “I have to go do some inventory.” She rose to her feet and pushed her chair back to the table where she’d snagged it, “It was nice to see you two again.”

“You’ll be seeing more of us, I’m sure,” Chuck smiled at her, “We decided to take the office across the street.”

“Good, good,” Lou nodded robotically, “Just let me know when you are up and running and I’ll start an account for you guys.”

“Will do,” Sarah smiled up at her.

“You mentioned something about inventory,” Scott spoke up, slowly rising from his seat and likewise tucking it in, “Being that it’s the weekend and I have nothing else going on, why don’t I help you with that?”

“Okay,” Lou smiled up at her fiancé coyly, “We’ll see the two of you later.”

Chuck and Sarah couldn’t help but laugh at how quickly the pair ran off towards the storage area of the sandwich shop.

“They took off so fast, I think they left a cloud behind them,” Chuck grinned.

“They are so not doing inventory,” Sarah snickered.

“I’d make a sausage related pun right now,” Chuck gave her a mischievous grin, “But there is a child present and they’re my friends.”

“Our friends,” Sarah corrected, “Maybe after we get settled, we can have them over for dinner some time.”

“I’d like that, but it may be a while,” Chuck shrugged as he shifted Molly in his arms to lay with her head against the crook of his elbow as she started to doze off. “They’re getting into crunch time now. The wedding is in a few weeks and then there’s the honeymoon. If I remember correctly from Ellie’s wedding, the last-minute whirlwind is about to begin for them.”

“She’s going to make a beautiful bride,” Sarah mused before clearing her throat and bringing them both back to the present, “Are you done eating? We probably have a few more dealerships around LA that we can try.”

Chuck took one last bite of his sandwich and a long drink of his soda, “Ready to go.” The pair made quick work of getting Molly back in her carrier, putting her bottle away, and clearing their table before they were out the door and heading toward the next dealership.

Three hours later, they came across Veteran Auto Sales, finally a dealership with staff and product that wasn’t causing Chuck to flash with anything but the exemplary service records of the sales staff. “Finally,” Sarah sighed as they wandered around the lot.

The pair had stopped next to a silver RAV-4, Sarah was scoping out the interior as best she could through the windows as Chuck, Molly’s carrier in his arms, read over the specs. “This is a manual,” He stated.

“I noticed,” Sarah shrugged, “So is my Lotus, but it’s not quite as child seat friendly as this SUV.”

“No, probably not,” Chuck snorted before Sarah saw his eyes flicker a moment at the man approaching them.

“Good afternoon,” An older gentleman with balding brown hair and a mustache that was clearly greying, greeted them. He was tall, but not quite as tall as Chuck, with broad shoulders and an easy smile, “You folks in the market for a new vehicle today?”

“What gave that away?” Chuck whispered to Sarah.

“Hush,” She teasingly chided him before turning to the sales rep, “Yes, I’m needing a safer car that can fit my daughter’s car seat.”

“What do you currently drive?” The man asked.

“A lotus,” Sarah shrugged, “I just moved here, so the Lotus is still back where I came from and the rental’s contract is nearly up.”

“Well a Lotus certainly wouldn’t be able to fit your family,” The older man chuckled, “Let’s see if we can find something that will work for you folks. Is this your daughter?” He asked, nodding to the carrier in Chuck’s arms.

“Yes,” Sarah nodded, “Molly.”

“She’s beautiful,” He smiled softly, “The wife and I have three girls of our own. They’re grown now and the younger one is expecting a little one soon.”

“Congratulations,” Chuck grinned, “First grandchild?”

“Yes,” The older man beamed, “The wife and I are very excited, I’m sure your folks were thrilled when you told them about little Molly.”

“Shocked is a bit more like it,” Sarah chuckled, “But my mom loves being a grandma.”

The salesman simply nodded before getting them back on track, “So, I noticed you had looked over a few of our vehicles, is the RAV-4 something you might be interested in taking for a spin?”

“Maybe, but I have a few questions,” Chuck turned to the older man. They had a long discussion regarding specifics of the vehicle, historic, mechanical, and safety primarily until Chuck was satisfied the vehicle was good enough for his family. _Well, someday my family._ He amended quietly in his head.

“So, what’s the verdict?” The salesman looked between the younger couple, “Do you want to take her for a spin?”

“I would like that,” Sarah smiled, nodding.

“Alright, if I could have your driver’s licenses, I’ll go make copies and grab the keys,” The salesman nodded, accepting the requested documentation and quickly jogging back to the office to grab keys and the dealership plates for the vehicle. Soon he returned and handed the keys to Sarah.

“I’ll get Molly settled in the back,” Chuck gave Sarah an easy smile.

“Okay,” Sarah nodded, quickly opening the door of the small SUV and climbing in. She made quick work of adjusting the seat and mirrors to where she needed them. By the time she was finished, Chuck had Molly strapped in and was sitting next to her in the back seat while the salesman sat in the front passenger seat so he could answer any questions that Sarah might have. “Everyone ready to go?”

At the nod of the two men in the vehicle, Sarah started it up. The engine roared to life before settling into a warm purr. She eased the SUV out of its space and, following the salesman’s directions on how to get out of the lot, she made her way back to the street.

She drove them up and down a few city streets before hitting the 405 and looping back to where the dealership was. As soon as they pulled up to the main office, the salesman jumped out as Chuck made quick work of releasing Molly’s carrier.

“I’ll leave you folks to discuss,” The older man nodded, “I’ll be back in a few for your decision, let me know if you need to see anything else.”

“So, what did you think?” Chuck asked as soon as the salesman was out of earshot.

The pair discussed the pros and cons of the vehicle before Sarah came to a decision and motioned for the sales rep to come back, “We’ve decided to take it.”

“Wonderful,” The man smiled up at her, “Great choice, if you could please come inside, we’ll get the paperwork done and set up financing.”

Once they were seated, they noticed the plaque on the salesman’s desk reading ‘Col. J. D. McGillis USMC Ret.’ Sarah looked at her boyfriend who gave her a confidant nod indicating that this is what he’d flashed on earlier. Chuck got the price negotiated down by $2000 since Sarah had a sizable down payment for the vehicle. After money was exchanged and paperwork was completed, the salesman changed out the dealership plate for temporary tags and shook the younger couple’s hands.

“You’re good to go,” He smiled at them, “Take care of that little one.”

“We will, Colonel, thank you,” Chuck assured him. As soon as the man handed over the keys and went off to assist another customer, Chuck once again got Molly’s carrier installed into the SUV, this time with the base strapped snuggly into the back seat. “Ready to go home?”

“Yeah, but we have another stop to make,” She tossed him the keys to the rental. Chuck nodded his understanding and quickly retrieved the other car. He followed her to the airport’s rental office and waited with Sarah while the agent processed the return paperwork. Soon they were loading back up in the RAV-4 and heading back to Chuck’s apartment.

After a dinner of take out vegie pizza, with no olives, and soda, Chuck laid down on the couch, Sarah pressed into his side and Molly laying on his chest as he and Sarah went over the logistics of getting them moved in the next day.

“Oh, before I forget,” Chuck spoke when the conversation came to a lull, “I picked up a pack’n’play the other day for Molly to sleep in until her stuff is delivered. You won’t have to worry about bringing the bassinette over here if you don’t want to.”

“Good,” Sarah nodded, sleepily against his shoulder.

“Nice thing is if we need to go somewhere, we now have a portable bed for Sweet Pea,” Chuck added, “Speaking of traveling, I will need to go back to DC this week to start interviewing agents for Carmichael CyberSecurity. I was thinking you two could come with me? I mean there’s nothing that you need to be at the office for just yet.”

“True,” Sarah agreed, “And I have to close up my old apartment, pull the Lotus from storage and see if I can’t get a buyer for it.”

“So, you’re coming with?” Chuck looked down at her.

“I’m coming with, I’ll get the tickets and our travel documents taken care of tomorrow,” She confirmed. Hearing the clock chime the late hour, she shifted, “Ugh, I don’t want to go home.”

“You are home,” Chuck spoke softly, kissing her forehead, “I know your things aren’t here yet, but I know you have a go bag in your trunk, I moved it there after we dropped off the rental, but you two could just stay the night and we go get your things in the morning.”

“I mean my mom’s home,” Sarah corrected, “And while I have a go bag in my trunk, I don’t really have one for Molly, I only packed enough stuff in her diaper bag for today, we have to go back. Besides, Mom would worry if we didn’t come home tonight. It’s just one more night, and after that, I am all yours.” She punctuated he last four words with soft kisses.

“Mmmm,” Chuck murmured, “I like the sound of that. If you get up, I’ll get Sweet Pea back in her carrier.”

“Okay,” Sarah slowly extracted herself from where she lay wedged between Chuck and the back of the couch as he eased himself up, baby in his arms and set to work getting Molly back in her car seat. The pair slowly made their way to the SUV and once bags and baby were loaded up in the car, they shared as soft kiss. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Not if I see you first,” Chuck grinned, opening Sarah’s door for her, “I love you, Sarah.”

“I love you too, Chuck,” She smiled at him as she stepped into the vehicle and put it in gear. One more kiss was shared through the open window before Sarah drove off into the night to head back to her mother’s place, leaving Chuck to amble back to his apartment.

Stepping into the guest room, or rather what was to become Molly’s new room, Chuck looked around, “Well, I can at least get started clearing some of this stuff away.” Setting his eyes on the double bed that sat against the wall closest to the door, he made quick work of removing the sheets, pillows, and blankets. The linens were deposited into the washing machine while the pillows were put up on the top shelf of the closet. It didn’t take long to break down the bed and soon he was laying the dismantled frame and mattress against the wall. He knew he wanted to paint the room, even had the cans waiting in the storage space on his back porch, but it was late, and he couldn’t paint until the bed was taken to storage anyway.

With a sigh and a stretch of his work-sore muscles, he made his way back to his room for the night. After his usual nightly routine, he settled into his bed, musing at how empty the space beside him felt without Sarah there. Setting his alarm to wake up early enough to get the old furniture from the guest room into storage, he drifted off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chuck groaned at the sound of his alarm going off. It was still dark out and it took him a moment to realize why he’d set his alarm for such an early hour. Slowly pulling himself out of bed and slipping on a pair of old jeans and a battered and faded MIT t-shirt of his father’s, Chuck got dressed. Calling for a ride, he traveled to pick up the pickup that he was renting for the morning. Once he returned home, he made quick work of moving the bedframe to the truck.

Devon caught him as he was trying to pull the box spring out of the front door. The older man quickly stepped up and helped him pick up the piece of furniture and carry it to the truck. “Bro, what are you doing?”

“Just clearing out some stuff,” Chuck shrugged, “Can you help me with the mattress, too?”

“Sure,” Devon nodded, “Is there a particular reason you felt the need to clear out your guest room at 6:45 in the morning?”

“I, well, um,” Chuck stammered, reaching for the mattress.

“Your lady friend is moving in, isn’t she?” Devon guessed.

“Yeah,” Chuck sighed, “Please don’t tell Ellie, Awesome, at least not yet. She literally just apologized to Sarah yesterday morning. I don’t want the situation to get blown up again.”

“I won’t say anything for now,” Devon agreed, “But your sister is pretty good at finding out secrets, and I won’t lie to her if she asks me directly.”

“I don’t expect you to,” Chuck agreed as the men carried the mattress out to load into the truck. “I know she’s worried about me, but Devon, Sarah is end-game for me. I knew it the moment I met her.”

“That’s awesome, Bro,” Devon clapped his hand on Chuck’s shoulder, “I felt the same way when I first met Ellie in med school. Hold on to that feeling. Is it weird for you that she comes with a ready-made family?”

“No not really,” Chuck shrugged as the men crossed the courtyard once more, “She and Molly are a package deal, I love Molly just as much as I love Sarah. To be honest, I can’t believe there was ever a time when they weren’t with me. I mean, I know there was, just a few weeks ago, in fact, but my life then pales in comparison to what I have now.”

“You have it bad,” Devon chuckled, “I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks, Devon.” Chuck gave his brother-in-law an affable smile. The pair worked quickly, clearing the room of the remaining bedside tables, entertainment center, and posters on the wall. Once they were finished, Devon headed back to his apartment and Chuck climbed into the truck to deliver the furniture to the storage unit he kept.

He was able to flag down an employee who assisted him in unloading the mattress and box spring and soon he was heading back to the rental office to return the truck and call for a ride home. By nine, he had started painting the room. He’d gotten the folks at the hardware store to mix just a touch of lavender in with the primarily white paint he’d chosen for the room. It didn’t take long to cover the walls with the first coat of paint. He opened the bedroom window to let the fumes dissipate a bit while he enjoyed a cup of coffee. Once the paint was dry enough, he added another coat, happy to see that the hint of purple color could be seen. By 12:30, the paint was dry enough that he could hang the curtain rods he’d bought for the large window. The lower layer was a thin, gauzy material that would allow for natural sunlight to come into the room without being too bright. The upper layer was a thicker grey with a light purple quatrefoil design woven in, which would allow them to block sunlight from the room when it was time for Molly to sleep.

He set up the pack’n’play in the room knowing that it would be moved into the master suite that evening as Molly would be sharing the room with him and Sarah for a little bit before her crib and other furniture arrived. He was surprisingly okay with moving the portable crib between the rooms. He also hung a shelf in the corner and set up a baby monitor there. Closing the window and door to Molly’s room, he heard his phone go off. Pulling the device from his pocket, he smiled, seeing Sarah’s face pop up. “Hello beautiful,” He crooned into the phone.

“Hey, you,” Sarah’s grin could be heard over the line, “I have the SUV loaded up with our stuff, we’ll be there in a little bit, just wanted to give you a heads up.”

“Great,” Chuck smiled, “I already emptied out a few drawers and half the closet for you. Since Molly’s furniture isn’t here yet, I bought some Rubbermaid temporary storage drawers for us to keep her clothes in.”

“Good idea,” Sarah chuckled, “Or at least better than the cardboard boxes I currently keep them in. I just wanted to call and let you know we are on our way there.”

“I’ll let you go so you can drive,” Chuck smiled, “Be safe.”

“Always,” Sarah hung up the phone as she picked up Molly’s carrier and slid it into place.

“Are you sure you have everything?” Emma inquired.

“Yeah, there wasn’t much to get, but I have it all.” Sarah nodded.

“I’ll miss you,” Emma sighed, “Both of you.”

“Mom, I’m not moving to Siberia,” She reminded her mother, “We'll be just 15 minutes away, in Burbank.”

“I know,” Emma nodded, wiping a stray tear from her eye, “I just got used to you being here the last couple weeks.”

“We liked being here too,” Sarah assured her, “But we both knew this day would come. Granted, I wasn’t expecting it to be so quickly, but I couldn’t imagine a better situation under which this could have happened.”

“Okay then,” Emma nodded. She leaned in through the open back door and pressed a gentle kiss to her granddaughter’s forehead before pulling her daughter into a tight embrace, “I love you both. Be safe.”

“I will, Mom,” Sarah assured her. “I know you want to meet Chuck, and you will, once we get settled in, so a few weeks, maybe?”

“Sounds good,” Emma nodded, watching as her daughter slid into the small SUV and, buckling her seat belt, turned over the ignition and drove off toward the highway.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sarah pulled her RAV-4 in to the empty spot next to Chuck’s Matrix and let out a breath. Moving in with Chuck was a big deal, she was excited and nervous in equal parts. She’d never lived with anyone she was involved with before. Ever since her father had been arrested, she’d been on her own. Closing her eyes briefly to store up her courage, she opened her door and stepped out. Going around the SUV, she disconnected Molly’s carrier from it’s base. As she turned, she caught site of the car seat that was already installed in the back seat of Chuck’s car, a broad smile spread across her face at how natural it looked to be there. If nothing else, the little things that Chuck had done over their brief time together to accommodate and adapt to Molly’s presence made her love him even more and her confidence in them having a future grew more secure.

“Alright, Baby,” She smiled down to the baby who stared up at her from the carrier, “Are you ready to go see Chuck?”

As she stepped into the courtyard, she saw Devon holding a little girl with light colored hair. He was wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt and the girl was in a sweater and leggings. Devon was laying on a mat with the little girl suspended above him in the air. Sarah had a moment of panic before realizing all she had immediately with her was Molly’s carrier, nothing to indicate what she was there to do. Taking a deep breath, she started to make her way, once more, across the courtyard.

“Hey, Sarah,” Devon called out, “Would you two like to join Clara and me in a little baby yoga?”

“No thanks, Devon,” Sarah made her voice sound casual, “Maybe some other time?”

“Alright,” Devon responded before shifting himself and Clara into a new position, “Happy moving day.”

Sarah blanched and quickly made her way to Chuck’s door. Thankfully, Chuck answered quickly after she knocked. “Hey Sarah… what’s wrong?” He asked, concern painted across his face.

“Devon knows?” Sarah gave Chuck a nervous look as she walked past him.

“Yeah, he found out by accident,” Chuck shrugged, “He promised to not tell Ellie just yet, but he knows. He’s happy for us.”

“Okay,” Sarah relaxed a bit as she set Molly down on the table, “Let’s try this again. Hey Chuck!”

“Hello, Sarah,” Chuck stepped up to her, pulling her close to him by her hips and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “Welcome home.”

“Home,” Sarah murmured against his lips, “I like that.”

Chuck gave her a soft smile that she felt to the tips of her toes as he stepped around her and greeted Molly before heading into the kitchen. “I have something for you,” He returned carrying a small red box, “Here.”

Sarah looked at the box and her boyfriend before taking the box in her hand and slowly opening it. Pillowed on the soft satin of the box lay a key attached to a key ring with a heart shaped pendant on it. The heart had a small inscription reading ‘Home is where the heart is.’ Sarah couldn’t help the wide smile that graced her lips as she reached up to pull Chuck down to her.

“You are so sweet,” She whispered against his lips.

“Well you need a way to get in and out of your own home,” Chuck shrugged, “But I’m not complaining about the response.”

“I promise there is more where that came from,” Sarah gave him a sultry look, “Tonight, after Molly is asleep.”

“Hey-oh,” Chuck whispered, pulling her closer, “Before that, we should probably get your stuff brought in.”

“Yeah,” Sarah nodded, “I’ll grab Molly’s carrier, so we don’t have to leave her alone in the house.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Chuck shook his head, “Just tell me where you parked, and I’ll bring your stuff in. You did say there wasn’t much, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, a couple suitcases and some boxes, but nothing more than that.” Sarah shrugged, handing him her car key. “I’m parked next to you.”

“Okay,” Chuck nodded, kissing her once more, “I’ll be back in a jiff.”

Sarah chuckled at his enthusiasm as she unbuckled Molly from her car seat, “What do you think of our new home? Do you like it?” Sarah pulled a bottle from the diaper bag and headed into Chuck’s kitchen in search of the can of formula she’d forgotten the other day.

Finding it quickly, sitting on the counter among jars of sugar, flour, and pasta, she set to work mixing up Molly’s bottle and, filling a pot of water, warmed it up on the stove. Just as it reached the correct temperature, Molly started to fuss. Sarah settled herself down on one of the armchairs and began to feed Molly, smiling as the little girl drank hungrily. By the time Chuck had brought in all their things, Molly was just finishing her bottle and drifting off to sleep.

“Hey, why don’t you put her down in her bedroom,” Chuck suggested, “I set the pack’n’play up in there, so she could nap while we unpack your stuff.”

“Okay,” Sarah whispered, slowly standing so as to not wake her daughter and followed Chuck into the small bedroom. She nearly gasped at how different it looked. Gone were the large bed, entertainment center, and geeky posters. Instead she found lightly painted walls and a small, portable crib. She lay Molly down in the pack’n’play as Chuck closed the thick curtains, darkening the room. Turning on a monitor that sat on the nearby shelf, the pair exited the room, letting the baby enjoy her afternoon nap.

“I know it wasn’t much,” Chuck shrugged sheepishly, “I only just painted it this morning, I figured we could decorate it toge…”

Chuck was cut off by Sarah’s lips crashing onto his. “You are the sweetest, best, most wonderful, man ever,” She whispered against his lips, “I love you so much.”

“Like I’ve told you before,” Chuck smiled down at her, “I would do anything for my girls. Starting with this,” He quickly swept Sarah up into his arms in a bridal carry and took her down the hall into their room.

“Now we have more than 20 minutes…” Chuck laid Sarah down on the bed, “I plan to take my time getting to know every part of you.”

Much to Sarah’s pleasure, and displeasure, he was good to his word. He was agonizingly slow acquainting himself with her from head to toe, taking note of what she reacted to, both good and bad. By the time he had them both under the sheets and pressed together, her body was absolutely humming awaiting the next peak. He made love to her just as slowly as he had studied her form, making her cry out in frustration and bliss as he slowly brought her to her peak before crashing into her as the two of them fell together.

“My God, you are so beautiful,” He whispered against her forehead as they curled up together in their bed. “I can’t believe I have such a beautiful, smart, wonderful woman in my life. Two, if we count Molly.”

“Charmer,” Sarah chuckled softly against his throat, pressing a kiss against his pulse point, feeling his heart rate against her lips, “We didn’t get such a bad deal either. Who knew such a wonderfully sweet, caring, intelligent, handsome nerd would come into our lives and take us into his heart?”

“It’s a mystery,” Chuck hummed, “How long does Molly usually nap for?”

“A couple hours,” Sarah shrugged, “Why?”

“Well we’ve been in here just a little more than one,” He kissed her head, “We probably should get dressed and actually unpack.”

“I guess,” She sighed, snuggling into his chest, “But I rather like laying here in your arms.”

“Well you’re home now,” Chuck reminded her, “We have a lifetime of doing this. Interspersed with doing such mundane things as working, raising Molly, eating…”

Sarah’s stomach rumbled, “Yeah, Molly and eating, two very good reasons to get out of the bed.”

“Tell you what, you unpack, and I’ll start making dinner,” Chuck suggested.

“Deal,” Sarah nodded, slowly getting up and searching for her clothes along side Chuck. As soon as they were dressed again, and hair put to rights, Chuck showed her which drawers were hers and Molly’s. As Chuck made dinner, Sarah made quick work of unpacking the clothes and other items she’d brought over from her mother’s house for her and Molly. Entering the kitchen, she saw Chuck standing at the stove, she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his shoulder. “Mmm, that smells good.”

“Thanks, figured I’d go simple today,” Chuck shrugged, “Spaghetti with red sauce.”

“Perfect,” She gave him one more squeeze before releasing him and opening the cabinets, “I’ll set the table. Molly should be waking up soon.”

“Sounds good,” Chuck nodded, giving the sauce a stir.

They had just settled down to eat when the unmistakable cry of the infant came through the monitor. “I’ll get her,” Chuck stood and walked down the hall, returning moments later with a freshly diapered awake Molly. He grabbed her bouncy chair from where he’d put it in the living room and, setting it on the table, strapped Molly in. “Here you go Sweet Pea; you can sit there while your mama and I eat our dinner.”

“Is every night going to be like this for us?” Sarah mused, twirling some pasta on her fork and taking a bite.

“No,” Chuck shook his head, “Some days we’ll deal with bad guys, some days will be boring, and some days, we’ll drop Molly off with her grandma so that I can spend the day ravishing you until you can’t move from our bed.”

Sarah just blushed at the warmth in Chuck’s voice as he finished his statement. Clearing her throat, she met his eyes, “I got our tickets set up, by the way, and our ID’s. We’ll be flying out Tuesday morning as Mr. and Mrs. Charles and their daughter.” She stood up and went to her briefcase, pulling out two licenses.

“’Charles Charles,’” Chuck read, snickering, “Really? You couldn’t have thought of anything better?”

“I could have, but I figured you would get a kick out of this.” She smiled and handed her ID to him.

“’Beatrice Charles,’” He read her license.

“Charlie and Bunny Charles,” She grinned, “We’re the Charlesuses….”

“Charleses,” Chuck corrected, barely containing his laughter. “Sarah, I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” She leaned over and kissed him, “Now, let’s finish our dinner.”

“Yes, Dear,” Chuck smirked at her, taking a large bite of his dinner only to set his girlfriend’s laughter off once more as a stray noodle and sauce missed its mark, leaving a red streak on his chin.

~~~~~~~~~

Later that evening, Chuck was halfway down the hall with the pack’n’play when he heard Sarah call out to him from the bathroom, “Chuck?”

“Yeah?” He asked sticking his head through the door, seeing his girlfriend leaning over the tub where she’d set up Molly’s bath seat.

“Have you moved the pack’n’play to our room?” She asked, looking over her shoulder, her hand placed firmly on the little girl’s stomach to hold her in place.

“I was actually in the process of doing that,” He opened the door a little wider, revealing the folded crib leaning against the hallway wall, “I’ll have it set up in our room soon.”

“Okay,” Sarah nodded, turning back to finish bathing the child.

By the time Sarah had finished giving Molly her bath and had diapered and dressed the little girl, Chuck had the pack’n’play set up at the foot of their bed. “Remind me to make sure we have this folded and ready to go Tuesday morning before we leave.” Chuck reminded her.

“I will,” She kissed his cheek as she passed, humming to Molly who was starting to drift off to sleep.

“What is that song you’re humming?” Chuck asked, “I don’t recognize it.”

“Just a lullaby my mother used to sing to me,” Sarah gave him a soft smile as she kept swaying, trying to lull the girl to sleep. “Slumber my darling, Mother is here. Guarding your dreams from all terror and fear. Sunlight has passed and the twilight is gone. Slumber my darling, and the night’s coming on.”

She hummed the lullaby a couple times until she was sure Molly was fast asleep. Slowly walking toward the crib, she felt a hand on her back and looked over her shoulder where Chuck stood. She watched as he lifted his other hand, running it over the soft downy blonde hair on the girl’s head and bent to kiss Molly’s forehead. When he’d stood once more, Sarah kissed her daughter’s cheek and gently laid her in the crib. Reaching behind her to take the hand Chuck had lain on her back, she quietly guided him out of the room.

“Did you turn on the monitor?” She whispered once they were outside of the door.

“Yes,” He nodded, “The receiver is already in the living room. As is a bottle of wine and a couple glasses. I thought we could celebrate you officially moving in.”

“You are so good to me,” Sarah smiled up at him.

“Sarah, if there was one thing my sister taught me was how to pamper the woman in my life,” Chuck led her down the hall toward the living room. Getting her to sit, he poured each of them a glass of wine. Taking a seat next to Sarah, he handed her wine to her and bent to kiss her. “Where did you learn that lullaby?”

“My mom used to sing it to me when I was a little girl,” Sarah sighed, leaning into Chuck’s shoulder as she took a sip of her wine. “She reminded me of it the first night I had Molly. Molly was scared and upset, wouldn’t sleep and wouldn’t calm down for me. I was at my wits end not knowing what to do with a screaming infant, so I called my mom. We sang the lullaby for her together that night, and every night since we came back to LA, we’ve sang it for Molly.”

“That’s nice,” Chuck murmured, “I’m glad you have something like that you are passing on from your mom to your daughter. Makes me wonder if Ellie will do the same for Clara as she gets older, or if I’ll remember to for…”

“For…” Sarah prompted him, “For your future children? Our future children?”

“Yes, and hopefully,” Chuck blushed, “I mean I hope that one day we can get to the point where we have that kind of a future.”

“I think it’s nice you’ve thought about our future,” Sarah smiled up at him, “I have a bit too, specifically a little boy with your hair, my eyes, and your mischievous smile.”

“I’d like that,” Chuck agreed, “But there’s no rush.”

“I know,” Sarah nodded, “I’m not in any rush with you, despite what people may think considering the fact we moved in together after only knowing each other a month. For once in my life, I’m open to letting things happen as they happen.”

“No pressure,” Chuck kissed her head, “Just go with the flow, I like it.”

“Mm-hmm,” Sarah closed her eyes, letting herself enjoy the quiet evening with Chuck, “What was it that your mom used to do?”

“One of my clearest memories of my mom is of the family; Mom, Dad, Ellie, and me, curled up in Mom and Dad’s bed while she told us a bedtime story.” Chuck spoke softly, “It was always the same one, or at least stories of the same character, ‘The Frost Queen.’”

“Is that anything like ‘The Snow Queen?’” Sarah mused.

“I don’t know,” Chuck shrugged, “I do remember there were some scary bits in it, but it worked out in the end. She didn’t start telling the story to us until I was older, maybe seven or eight years old. Sometimes it was like she was trying to tell us something without outright saying it.”

“Interesting,” Sarah nodded, “I wonder what she was trying to tell you, if anything.”

“Who knows,” He sighed, “I do remember there were a few times Dad cleared his throat in the middle of the story and Mom would stop and jump ahead in the story. After she left, I crawled into their bed, hoping that being there would bring her back, if only to tell me the story once more, but she never came back.”

“I’m sorry,” Sarah set down her now empty wine glass and turned to face him, placing a warm hand on his cheek, “You were so young.”

“Sometimes I think I see her,” Chuck mused, “I’ll be on a mission or around town, I’ll turn and out of the corner of my eye, I think I’ll see her, but when look again, she’s gone. I never knew why she felt she needed to leave. She seemed so happy with us when she was home, she tended to travel on business a lot. She and Dad were so in love, but one day she left for work and never came home. Dad was devastated, locked himself in his office for days, frantically searching for any clue as to where she was. He calmed down after a while, but then when I was 14, he left too. He said he was going to make pancakes for us because he had good news. He left to get the ingredients from the store but never came back.”

“Oh Babe,” Sarah cooed, her heart breaking for him.

“We received letters and cards for while for our birthdays, Christmas, that kind of thing, but then one day, they just stopped.” Chuck sighed, “It was like he dropped off the face of the planet.”

“You and Ellie are so strong to go through that,” Sarah gave him a small smile, “You didn’t let it overwhelm your life, you’re not bitter. It seems to have drawn you closer together, you had each other.”

“We did,” Chuck agreed, “I just wish I knew where they were, that they could see the woman, the mother, that Ellie has become despite of, or maybe because of, them. See the man I’ve become.”

“They would be proud of you,” Sarah assured him, “Of both of you, I know I am.”

“Thank you,” Chuck smiled warmly at her as he set his glass on the coffee table and swung her legs across his lap, “Lay back,” He instructed as he slowly began to massage her legs and feet.

“God, that feels good,” She sighed, closing her eyes as she rested her head on the arm of the couch. “Where did you learn to do that?”

“Wish I could say it was the Intersect, it would be less embarrassing,” Chuck blushed, “Ellie ran track in high school and college. Sometimes after a meet, her legs would cramp up and it would be painful for her to walk until the muscle relaxed. Often times her legs would cramp after she got home so it often fell to me to help her.”

“Oh Chuck,” Sarah smiled softly at him, sitting up and laying her hand on his cheek, “That’s not embarrassing at all. You were taking care of your sister.”

“She had me come by and teach Awesome how to massage her legs and feet the way she liked it when she got pregnant,” He blushed.

Sarah couldn’t help but laugh, “Oh Chuck,” She snickered, trying to get herself under control, “You mean there was something that Awesome wasn’t awesome at?”

“No, I guess not,” Chuck shrugged, a blush still tinting his cheeks.

“Chuck, I don’t know how you do it,” Sarah scooted closer, so she was nearly sitting on his lap, his hand resting on her knee, “But somehow you make me fall more in love with you every day.”

“It’s a gift,” He smiled, his hand drifting up from her knee, tracing the side of her ribs, around the curve of her breast before he wove his fingers into her hair and pulled her in for a soft kiss. Sarah adjusted herself so that she was straddling his hips, she could feel him pressing against her. She instinctively rocked into him making him moan, “Mmmm, Sarah, bed.”

“Can’t,” Sarah gasped as his hands drifted over her body and up her back, “Molly is asleep in there, but I have an idea.”

“Really?” He nuzzled her neck where it met her shoulder pressing soft kisses against her warm skin.

“Mm,” Sarah smiled saucily, “Lean back,” She whispered smiling as he quickly complied, the move shifting his lower body so that his hips were at the edge of the seat. Sarah slowly stood, quickly removing his pants and hers and crawling back into his lap, slowly pressing down on him eliciting a groan from deep within his throat. “Chuck?”

“Yeah?” He asked, his hands bracketing her hips.

“Touch me,” She purred.

“As you wish,” He allowed his hands to drift over her body, under her shirt to tease her breasts. When he could no longer take any more, he drew her fully against him and jack-knifed himself so that she was laying back against the couch and he was above her. Hitching one of her knees over his hip, he began to move against her, whispering her name against her lips, her neck, any piece of her skin he could reach as he continued to make love to her.

“Oh God,” Sarah moaned as he placed the thumb of his right hand in his mouth, sucking on it a moment before lowering it to where they were joined, massaging the bundle of nerves found there, bringing her closer to her peak with every caress. It didn’t take long until she was coming apart in his arms. She felt him hum against her neck as she felt his echoing pulse within her.

Moments later, he stilled, his eyes meeting hers, the gold flecks in his eyes mesmerizing her as he lowered his lips to her for a soft kiss. He gently rolled her to her side and settled in behind her, pulling the blanket from the back of the couch over them. Sarah was so overwhelmed, her eyes started to tear, “Are you okay?” She heard him ask softly. “Did I hurt you?”

“Chuck,” She turned over in his arms, so he could see her, “I am perfect. You didn’t hurt me, promise.”

Chuck breathed a sigh of relief, “Did you?”

“Oh yeah,” She grinned up at him, “A couple times actually. That was actually better than I thought it would be.”

“I love you,” Chuck lowered his lips to hers as he pulled her flush with him, “I’m so glad you are home with me and don’t have to go rushing off.”

“Really?” Sarah grinned up at him, “Why’s that?”

“Because I can really take my time and…” He was interrupted by the sound of Molly crying. The pair let out a groan as the disengaged from one another and pulled their pants back on again.

“Duty calls,” Sarah shrugged, “But I’ll definitely need a raincheck on that thought you were having.”

Chuck watched her as she quickly pulled her pants on and made her way down the hall toward their room to take care of her daughter. After pulling his own pants back on, he sat back on the couch, allowing himself to revel in the satisfaction he felt, not just from what they’d just shared on that same couch moments before, but with his life in general. True, it wasn’t how he originally thought it would happen, but there was something so right about sharing his home with this woman and her child.

“Someone was wanting snuggles now that Mama has changed her diaper,” Sarah returned with the infant in her arms.

“Well, I’m a champion snuggler,” Chuck grinned, “Hand her over.”

Sarah simply smiled and handed the drowsy infant over to her boyfriend, chuckling as the little girl immediately curled into him and fell fast asleep. “She is out!” Sarah shook her head, “You have the magic touch.”

“I guess I do,” Chuck shrugged, “You know it’s kind of late now, I know I could do with some sleep. So, why don’t we take snuggle bug back to bed with us, make it a family thing before we put her back in her crib?”

“’A family thing?’” Sarah raised and eyebrow, expecting Chuck to get flustered and back pedaled, but was surprised when he smoothly levered himself up from the couch, the baby cradled in his left arm as his right reached out to her and pulled her close.

“Yes,” His voice was low, his eyes dark, “A family thing.”

It was all Sarah could do to nod, take his hand and follow him down the hall to their room. She watched him lay the infant in the middle of the bed, pillows bracketing her small form, as they quickly changed into their pajamas. Him into his grey Stanford t-shirt and red flannel pants and her into a pair of shorts and a tank top that clung to her curves.

“Hey-oh,” Chuck’s eyes widened slightly from his reclined position on the bed, Molly asleep on his chest as Sarah made her way across the room. He smiled warmly at her as she lifted the blankets on her side of the bed and slid underneath, cuddling up to him, laying on his shoulder, her hand woven with his, resting on her daughter’s back, “Sarah, you are so beautiful.”

“I’m just wearing my pajamas, Chuck,” Sarah rolled her eyes.

“You’re always beautiful to me,” Chuck countered, “I have to admit that I feel like I should pinch myself, make sure this isn’t a dream.”

“I can assure you this is no dream,” Sarah kissed his neck as she slid her hand over and pinched his side, causing him to jerk a little.

“Then I am the luckiest man alive,” Chuck looked down at her, meeting her eyes as his free hand traced patterns on her bare shoulder, “How many men can say they have the opportunity to share their bed with two beautiful girls every night.”

“You’re silly,” She chided him softly, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of snuggling with her little family. “And I’m tired.”

“Gee, I wonder why,” Chuck snickered.

“I wasn’t alone in that,” She reminded him.

“Oh, I know,” He grinned, “Believe me I’m tired too.”

“Do you need me to put her down?” She offered, nodding toward the baby.

“Nah,” Chuck kissed her head, “I got it.” He slowly eased himself off the bed and over to the portable crib, laying the little girl down and covering her with the blanket Sarah had bought in the Hungary. Once he was sure the baby was settled and wouldn’t wake again, he returned to the bed, pulling Sarah close to him and kissing her soundly. “I love you, Sarah.”

“I love you too, Chuck,” Sarah sighed, tucking her feet in between his, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

“Are you sure we have everything?” Sarah checked as they loaded up her SUV with their gear for their flight back East.

“I’m pretty sure,” Chuck nodded.

“We have your suitcase?”

“Check,”

“My suitcase?”

“Check.”

“Your garment bag? _My_ garment bag?”

“Double check.”

“Molly’s diaper bag, stroller, pack’n’play, blanket?”

“Check, check, check, and check,” Chuck grinned. “I think we’re good.”

“Do you have the…”

“Tickets and cover IDs?” Chuck grinned, pulling the tickets from the breast pocket of his jacket. “I made sure to put the licenses in our wallets last night.”

“You went into my purse?” Sarah gaped at him.

“I didn’t up-end it or anything,” Chuck protested, “Your wallet was right on top, I only removed it for a moment, put the license in, and put it back. By the way when did you take that picture of Molly and me?”

“Last week when we were visiting,” Sarah shrugged, “You were trying to get Molly to go to sleep and dozed off yourself with her on your chest. It was so adorable I couldn’t resist taking it, and I needed a brag photo anyway.”

“’Brag photo?’” Chuck lifted his eyebrow at her as he made sure Molly was fastened into her car seat.

“Yeah, you know the picture you keep in your wallet and pull out when someone asks you if you have kids?” She shrugged, closing the back hatch and circling over to the passenger side of the vehicle where Chuck was holding the door open for her.

“Oh, is that what those are called?” He asked, pulling his wallet from his back pocket and showing her a picture that he’d taken of the three of them.

“Wow, Lou wasn’t kidding about the curl overload,” She laughed, looking at the picture as he walked over to the driver’s side door and slid in behind the wheel, “Or about the fact that if no one knew any better they’d mistake Molly for ours.”

“She _is_ ours,” Chuck pointed out, “Or rather yours and mine in the sense that I’m romantically involved with her mother…”

“I meant biologically,” Sarah corrected, “And she is ours, if only in our hearts for now. Maybe someday we can do something about that.”

“You mean you would like me to…” Chuck glanced over his shoulder at Molly.

“Not tomorrow or anything,” Sarah shrugged, trying to be casual, “But maybe, someday, if we decide that we want to make our thing under the undercover thing a permanent thing.”

Chuck simply took her hand in his, interlacing their fingers as he lifted the back of her hand to his lips, “Someday, I like the sound of that,” He purred, causing her to flush before he shot her a cheeky grin and, releasing her hand, turned over the ignition and shifted the car into gear. “DC here we come.”

“Chuck, you truly are something else,” Sarah chuckled, taking his hand in hers as he took the onramp to the highway, “But you’re _my_ something else.”

“Only yours,” Chuck grinned at her, easing the SUV onto the highway and toward the airport, “And Molly’s.”

~~~~~~~~

“Remind me again why we needed to be at the airport at five in the morning?” Chuck inquired, unloading their bags onto a luggage cart while Sarah set up the stroller and got Molly strapped in.

“The amount of baggage we are traveling with to start,” She leaned into the car and unfastened the car seat, handing it to him, “Don’t forget that we are traveling with an infant which will make the already long security screening process longer, and if we took the later flight, we wouldn’t be arriving until after midnight.”

“Oh, yeah,” Chuck nodded as he closed the hatch and activated the SUV’s alarm, sliding the keys into his pocket.

“Not to mention, the timing of these flights are close to Molly’s feeding and nap times,” Sarah added, pushing the stroller next to Chuck and the baggage cart. “Once we give her bottle to her, she should fade pretty quickly.”

“Good point,” Chuck acquiesced, “Am I the only one who is finding the irony that it’s taking the same amount of flights to get from here to DC as it did to get from Europe home?”

“No, the irony is not lost on me,” Sarah assured him, “At least the first flight is only about an hour and the last just under two.”

“Yeah but the first flight is on one of those small planes,” Chuck pointed out.

“I got us bulkhead seats, don’t worry,” Sarah nudged him with her elbow, “And first class from Phoenix to Charlotte.”

“Well at least we’ll get lunch from the flight.” Chuck sighed, easing the baggage cart into the serpentine line leading up to the ticket agents.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long to get through the line to check their bags. Security took a little longer since they’d decided to bring the stroller with them after Sarah pointed out the size of the Phoenix, Charlotte, and DC-Dulles airports to Chuck. After the TSA passed their wand over the conveyance and cleared it, they were on their way.

“Do you want a breakfast sandwich?” Chuck asked, nodding to a sandwich shop to their right as he pulled the straps of his and Sarah’s carry-ons over his shoulders.

“Babe, that’s not Subway,” Sarah pointed out, “That place doesn’t have breakfast sandwiches.”

“Okay,” Chuck shrugged and followed his girlfriend to the boarding area. They had just sat down when Chuck felt something press into his thigh. “Oh, before I forget, I have something for you, or rather us.” He pulled a small box from his pocket and adopted a Texan accent, a sly grin on his face, “Since we’re traveling as a married couple, thought we should look the part. Mrs. Charles, would you be so kind as to wear my ring?”

“Why Mr. Charles, I would be honored,” Sarah giggled as she extended her left hand so he could slip the wedding set on her finger. The engagement ring was a 3-stone ring with a round cubic zirconia as the center stone and pink heart-shaped stones bracketing it, with the pointed ends facing toward her pinky and middle fingers, the wedding band was eternity style with round stones inset into the silver band. Chuck slid the rings over her knuckles and kissed the back of her hand. He knew it was too soon for this to be real, but he looked forward to the day they would both be ready for that step.

“Your turn,” Sarah drawled in a similar accent to Chucks as she smiled at him, taking the box in her hand and withdrawing the thicker silver band, which had a diagonal line of inset stones along the top, and slipped it over Chuck’s left ring finger, giving his hand a squeeze once it was nestled at the bottom of the digit. “Well Mr. Charles, now we look properly married, wedding rings and baby to boot.”

“And what a pretty baby she is,” Chuck leaned forward and cooed at the infant who smiled and lifted her hands to him. With a grin, he picked her up and nestled her against his chest. “You know at least one good thing has come of our late arrival to DC.”

“What’s that?” Sarah asked, leaning against his shoulder as they waited for their boarding call.

“I don’t have to fly in a suit, I rather prefer flying comfortably and changing in to my suit once I’ve arrived.” Chuck admitted.

“Probably a good thing you aren’t flying in a suit,” Sarah shrugged, “Since we know how well I do with keeping my hands to myself when you are in one.”

“Behave Ms. Bunny, not in front of the B-A-B-Y.” Chuck teased her.

“Well, what can I say, my Charlie is a handsome man,” She drawled, “I gotta show my appreciation somehow.”

“Oh, and I do so love when you choose to show your appreciation,” Chuck grinned roguishly and gave her a wink before kissing the sensitive spot behind her ear.

“Charlie Charles!” Sarah faux scolded him, swatting him on the side of his chest, opposite of where Molly’s head was laying, “We are in public.”

“What can I say? You married yourself a very amorous and affectionate man,” He teased back, wrapping his free arm over her shoulder and pulling her in.

“That I did,” Sarah sighed, “Even when he is being a tease in front of our daughter.”

“It’s good she sees us being affectionate, Darlin’” He felt her stiffen at the term of endearment, causing his smile to falter, “What’s wrong?” He whispered, dropping the accent.

“’Darlin,’” Sarah shook her head, “It’s what my father called me.”

“Noted,” Chuck kissed her head softly, “I won’t use that name for you, if it bothers you.”

“No, you’re fine,” Sarah sighed, “It works well for the cover, it just threw me, that’s all.”

“I’ll try to keep the ‘Darlins’ to a minimum, then.” Chuck offered.

“You are wonderful, did you know that?” Sarah cooed, smiling up at him.

“I’d heard rumors,” He teased, pressing a soft kiss to her lips as he heard the gate agents making their preboard announcements. Picking up the accent once more, he gave her a soft smile “Why don’t you fold up the stroller, I got Molly and my bags if you can get yours and her diaper bag.”

“Okay,” Sarah nodded, adopting the accent once more as she spun the stroller around and quickly folded it into its stowage form. Looping her carry-on, purse, and Molly’s diaper bag over her shoulder as she heard the gate agent make the preboarding announcement allowing for families with small children and infants to board, she joined Chuck approaching the podium. She felt the warmth of Chuck’s palm on her lower back as he guided her toward the gate, only leaving long enough to retrieve the tickets from his jacket and hand them to the agent by the door.

“Mr. and Mrs. Charles, welcome aboard,” The young woman smiled at them as she handed their ticket stubs back to them. “Oh, let me get a gate check tag for your stroller.” She quickly grabbed a tag and, filling it out, attached it to the bar handle of the conveyance before sending them with instructions on where to leave the stroller down the jetway.

Once they dropped the stroller at the end of the jet bridge, they turned toward the door of the plane, both ducking to make it from the bridge extension and into the low doorway. Chuck waited while Sarah stowed her and Molly’s things in the overhead bin before stowing his own and, reaching into the side pocket of Molly’s diaper bag, retrieved a bottle already prepped with a bit of formula in it before taking his seat. Before the rest of the passengers could board, he flagged down the flight attendant who had been standing in the galley.

“Excuse me, Miss, would you mind putting half hot and half cool water into this?” He asked, holding the bottle up.

“Certainly sir,” She smiled at him taking the bottle and opened a narrow closet near the lavatory removing a bottle of water, she then returned to the galley. A few moments later, she returned, bottle mixed and a smile on her face, “I made sure it was at a good temp for the little one.”

“Thank you…” Chuck started.

“Liz,” She offered, tucking a strand of her short, auburn, hair behind her ear, “Just ring if you need anything.”

“Will do,” Chuck nodded.

“I think someone has a little crush,” Sarah teased him.

“Who?” He looked down at his girlfriend.

“The flight attendant,” Sarah smirked, “She thinks you’re cute, not that I blame her. Not that she’ll do anything about it, she saw me, the baby, and the ring on your finger. Not to mention she looks so young she probably gets enough grief from her co-workers and won’t risk being unprofessional by trying to pick up a passenger.”

“How do you figure her co-workers give her a hard time?” Chuck inquired.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but this plane only has 50 seats,” Sarah pointed out, “Meaning one flight attendant, her. I saw her badge, it says she was hired over a year ago and with a regional airline like this, she’s probably senior enough by now to hold a set schedule. She probably deliberately chose to fly on the smaller planes to work alone.”

“She seems so personable, though,” Chuck observed as the flight attendant greeted her passengers, “I don’t see how she would have trouble working with others.”

“Maybe not the younger set, but female flight attendants generally fall in two categories, just out of school or empty nesters.” Sarah explained, “The older ones though may give her some push back, especially since she looks younger than she is.”

“She does have a bit of a Jumpstreet thing going for her,” Chuck agreed, looking at the younger woman in the white blouse, navy vest, and slacks who was amicably speaking with a passenger while they waited for the line to progress as people sat. “But she’s gotta be at least 20.”

“I’d be willing to bet, she’ll be asked her age by the time this flight is over.” Sarah snickered, “Loser bathes Molly tonight.”

“You’re on,” Chuck shook her hand.

Soon the flight was pushing back from the gate, Liz completed her safety briefing and was doing a final seatbelt check when an older woman a few rows back from Chuck and Sarah stopped her.

“Excuse me, Miss, I don’t mean to be rude, but are you old enough to work this flight?” The older woman inquired.

“Easy money,” Sarah chuckled as Chuck rolled his eyes, accepting his fate of being soaked by the water-loving infant currently snuggled up to her mother and drinking her bottle.

“Yes, Ma’am I am,” They overheard Liz respond kindly, “I may not look it, but I am over 21, which is the minimum age this airline hires for flight attendants.”

“I don’t believe you,” The woman responded.

“It’s true,” Liz reached into her pocket, producing a card, “See, February of ’85.”

“I’ll be,” The older woman gasped, “You don’t look older than 17.”

“I get that a lot,” Liz snickered, “Blessing of being Italian, I’ll look young until I hit my 50’s then overnight I’ll turn into Strega Nona. Happened to my mom and her sisters.”

Chuck and Sarah snickered at the image, “Well at least she’s got a good sense of humor about it,” Chuck smirked, watching the younger woman make her way back to the galley and, pulling the jump-seat from its stowage compartment, locked it in place and buckled herself in for takeoff.

A little more than an hour later, they were landing in Phoenix and collecting their things for their connection to Charlotte. Once they were back in the terminal, both Chuck and Sarah stretched, popping their backs, which were stiff after sitting in the cramped aircraft. Finding their next gate on the departures board, they quickly made their way from Gate B24 to Gate A17.

“Of course, with our luck, we have to go nearly the entire distance of the terminal,” Sarah snarked, pushing Molly’s stroller as Chuck followed behind. “Oh well, at least there’s a moving sidewalk,” She added, coming to the top of the hall she was in and finding moving sidewalks that stretched along the long hall that connected the halls that made up the B and A gates.

“Sweetheart,” Chuck put his hand on her arm to slow her down, “You do realize that we have over an hour before our next flight boards, right?”

“I’ve always been a little neurotic when I travel,” Sarah blushed, “I just like to get to the gate and then if I have time, use the restroom and get something to eat or read. I think I became more so when Molly started flying with me.”

“I don’t remember you being like that when we got to Dallas,” Chuck raised his eyebrow as they continued on at a slightly more docile pace.

“Well, I had like a four-hour layover, so I was able to relax a bit,” Sarah shrugged.

“And I’m the odd one?” He chuckled, adjusting the bags on his shoulders and shooting Sarah a small grin.

“Shut up,” She teasingly scoffed, “And stop that, I can’t be irritated with you when you’re being adorable.”

“I am adorable,” Chuck shrugged, “It’s about time you get used to it.”

“Nerd,” Sarah rolled her eyes.

“Thank you,” He beamed down at her as they transitioned from one moving sidewalk to another, pressing to one side as a flight attendant zipped passed them.

Ten minutes later they arrived at their gate. Knowing that they would be served lunch on the plane, they swung by one of the express stands in the terminal and picked up a cup of mixed fruit to snack on as they waited. While Chuck sat with their bags, Sarah took Molly into the nearby restroom to change her and use the facilities herself, when she returned, they traded off. By the time the boarding call was made, they had finished off their fruit and were ready to continue on their way.

The flight to Charlotte was mostly smooth, but there were a few issues when Molly’s ears, despite the attempts made by Sarah and Chuck to get her to take her bottle or pacifier, didn’t clear right away, causing the infant to scream for the first hour or so of the flight before she finally exhausted herself and fell asleep in her mother’s arms. Much to Sarah’s delight they were served eggplant parmigiana for lunch, even Chuck had to admit it was delicious for airline food.

While Molly napped in her mother’s arms, Chuck and Sarah watched _Singing in the Rain_ as it was Sarah’s turn to pick. She was a little surprised when Chuck smiled and informed her that it was one of his favorite movies as he’d been raised on movie musicals. His whole family loved musical theatre, he had grown up with his father singing standards from _Man of La Mancha_. His mom had been rather fond of _Phantom of the Opera_, and despite hating the play _Romeo and Juliet_, Ellie loved _The Fantasticks._ Chuck himself had loved _The Music Man_ but later had played Perchik in _Fiddler on the Roof_ as he’d inherited his father’s singing ability, something that Sarah had found out one night when she walked into their room to find Chuck pacing the floor, a fussy Molly in his arms, as he sang _Hushaby Mountain_ in his warm baritone voice.

“You know, I always loved Donald O’Connor,” Chuck murmured as they watched the actor sing _Make ‘em Laugh_.

“He is pretty funny,” Sarah agreed, leaning her head on Chuck’s shoulder as they watched from the laptop that sat on his tray table, Y-jack and headphones allowing them to both enjoy the film. Once the movie was over, Chuck turned the laptop back to himself and pulled up the dossiers on the agents he would be meeting with over the next few days.

“Hey, Sarah,” Chuck nudged her, pointing to the screen where an older man with dark hair and a goatee stared back at them, “He has an advanced technical degree, and has been a field agent for a while.”

“No,” Sarah stated simply, “He gives me the creeps, there’s just something about him that is making my gut say I don’t want him anywhere near Burbank if we can help it.”

“Point taken,” Chuck nodded, moving the file to the rejected folder on his desktop, “Good bye Nicholas Quinn.”

Sarah continued to look over Chuck’s shoulder as he reviewed the final folders, “I really like this Lewis Griffin guy, Brody James, too; Josie McAllister seems like she’d be an interesting addition to the team as well.”

“Going by their profiles alone, I’d say they’re likely going to be joining us,” Chuck nodded, “Assuming no red flags come up during their interviews.”

“I’m not sure about this Damien guy, though,” Sarah frowned, “He seems a little shifty to me.”

“You’d be the same way if you were stuck doing undercover ops in Al Qaida for an extended period of time,” Chuck countered, “This guy is a former SEAL and a munitions expert, he’d come in handy to tap for any field ops that may be sent our way.”

“Point taken,” Sarah relented, “I guess he’d be good for security.”

“Kinda what I was thinking,” Chuck smiled at her before turning back to the screen. He pulled up another profile, a young woman, thin with long dark hair and dark brown eyes which were a combination of intelligent, mysterious, and dangerous, causing him to immediately flash, “Huh, that’s weird.”

“What?” Sarah looked at him concerned.

“This file just says Greta as the agent’s name, skilled analyst and trained weapons specialist, truly gifted if these scores say anything about her,” Chuck looked over her file, it was clear he was impressed by what he saw, “But the intersect has her listed as Summer Tamsin, Kendall Frost, Code name River…”

“Like the crazy girl in that show you like?” Sarah arched her eyebrow, “She does kinda look like her.”

“Probably the reason for the code name,” Chuck shrugged, “Speaking of, don’t you think Major Casey kinda looks like…”

“No,” Sarah shook her head, “And he’d probably be offended that you thought he looked like a guy with a girl’s name.”

“Good point,” Chuck nodded, “Moving on. Oh, did you set up lodging for us in DC?”

“Kinda,” Sarah shrugged, “I still have my apartment, it’s not exactly baby safe, but it shouldn’t take too long to get the weapons stowed away. Besides, it’s not like she can go anywhere, she hasn’t started crawling yet and is thus far fine with hanging out in her pack’n’play with a plushie or two or being carried around by one of us. The bed’s comfortable and big enough for two. I figured we could stay there, and I’ll start packing things up while you’re interviewing agents for the team.”

“Saves on expenses, I guess,” Chuck shrugged, “Now how comfortable is this bed?”

The warmth of his voice against her ear as he leaned over sent a thrill of anticipation down her spine, “I guess you’ll find out when we get there and get Molly down for the night.”

“I look forward to it,” He kissed her neck, smiling as he watched her body flush. “I love that I can cause that reaction in you.”

“You are the only one who ever could,” Sarah smiled at him, her eyes a dark shade of blue that he only saw during their more intimate moments, “You know, if Molly wasn’t traveling with us, we could join the Mile-High club.” She dropped a hand to his thigh and started trailing her fingers in patterns that flirted dangerously close to his inseam and hip.

“Hey-oh,” Chuck’s eyes widened as he grinned, “There’s an idea for another time, preferably when your mom is on babysitting duty.”

“Agreed, so rain check?” She gave him a flirty smile and squeezed his leg once more as they heard the captain announce they were starting their descent into Charlotte International Airport and that the flight attendants would be coming around to prepare the cabin for landing.

“You are a cruel, cruel woman,” He teased, the warmth in his voice making her toes curl. “And you better believe that I will collect on that raincheck, you won’t know when, you won’t know where… okay so you’ll kinda know where, but I will collect.”

“I look forward to it.” Sarah gave him a grin, “Oh hey, can you grab Molly’s pacifier while you’re down there?” She asked as Chuck bent to stow his laptop case under the seat in front of him.

“Sure,” He quickly grabbed the requested item from the side pocket of the diaper bag at Sarah’s feet and, sitting up once more, handed it to his girlfriend who in turn offered it to the infant who was beginning to stir in her arms. “By the way, we have a three-hour lay over here, I was thinking we could find our next gate and maybe grab dinner while we wait.”

“Sounds good to me,” Sarah nodded as they watched the flight attendant take her seat for landing. Moments later they were on the ground, much to their surprise, they had arrived early thanks to tail winds giving the pilots a little extra push through the air.

Finding their gate was easy, after a brief stop to rotate through the restrooms, they found a small Mexican restaurant located near their gate. “I would love a strawberry margarita right now,” Sarah hummed.

“Your wish is my command,” Chuck grinned as he guided her toward the cantina. They both enjoyed margaritas, chips and salsa, and bites of each other’s meals, chicken tamales for Chuck and shredded beef flautas for Sarah. About 45 minutes before their flight was due to board, Chuck paid their tab, and guided his girls back toward the terminal’s thoroughfare. Once again, they cycled through the bathroom, neither wanting to deal with a lavatory bathroom, especially if the trip included changing an infant. They only had to sit in the boarding area for a few minutes before the preboard announcement had them gathering their things and heading to the gate.

“Mr. and Mrs. Charles,” The ticket agent greeted, “Welcome, we were able to secure the full row for your flight to DC. I hope you enjoy your trip.”

“Thank you,” Chuck gave the agent a smile, “We will. You have a good evening.” With that, he placed his hand on Sarah’s back and led her down the jet way once more. The flight was, thankfully, short at a little over an hour. Once they’d landed, deplaned, and collected Molly’s stroller at the end of the jetway, they made their way to the baggage claim area.

“Why don’t you go get the car,” Sarah suggested, “I’ll wait here with Molly for our bags, by the time the bags come around and are loaded onto the cart, we shouldn’t have to wait too long for you to return with the car.”

“It’s a good idea,” Chuck nodded, “Are you sure you can handle the cart and the stroller at the same time?”

“I am a highly trained government operative,” Sarah countered, her tone light, “I don’t think a baggage cart and an infant’s stroller will do me in.”

“Alright,” Chuck kissed her, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” With that, he gave her a smile and headed outside to where the shuttle to the rental cars was located.

35 minutes later, Chuck pulled up, driving a grey Toyota Camry. Sarah and Molly were standing along the curb waiting for him. He quickly jumped out and loaded the bags and pack’n’play into the vehicles’ spacious trunk while Sarah quickly fastened the base of Molly’s car seat into the rear passenger seat so that the carrier would face backwards. Once she knew it was secured, she quickly placed the sleeping infant into the seat, barely registering when Chuck took the stroller to the rear of the vehicle and broke it down. Thankfully Molly only stirred a moment before settling back into slumber, not even the sound of the trunk closing awoke her.

Just as Sarah was closing the rear passenger door of the car, Chuck came around her and opened the front passenger door for her. She gave him a soft smile and a kiss before sliding in and waiting for him to close the door for her. She waited in the car, watching as Chuck ran the cart back to the return rack and jog back to the car, his long trench, which he’d meticulously folded into his carry on, now open and flapping behind him like some superhero’s cape as he ran.

Opening the driver’s-side door, Chuck slid in, giving Sarah a broad grin, “Alright, miss, where to?” Sarah couldn’t help but laugh and roll her eyes at him before pointing the way toward the roadway leading out of the airport.


	9. Chapter 9

Surprisingly, for a Tuesday night, even at nearly eleven at night, the drive to Sarah’s apartment was remarkably fast at 25 minutes. When Sarah had given him the address of the complex, Chuck had raised an eyebrow and chuckled when she shrugged and explained she chose the apartment complex so that she could say she lived in Vienna.

Approaching the apartment building, which seemed to be high end for the area with its Nuevo-contemporary ink block design, gleaming windows, and lower-level store fronts stood out against the older apartments that surrounded it. Sarah directed him to the parking garage where she handed him an access card from her wallet to grant them entrance. Soon, he was pulling in to a parking space near a bank of elevators that Sarah informed him were close to her side of the building.

Since Sarah had packed Molly’s clothes in with hers, they only had two suitcases, two garment bags, the pack’n’play, and a few carry-ons to take up to the apartment with them. Once the stroller was set up and Molly securely fastened inside, they put the diaper bag, Sarah’s purse, and Chuck’s laptop in the storage compartment located beneath the seat. Sarah had slung her garment bag over her chest and shoulders and, with Chuck following with his garment bag and the pack’n’play’s carrying case over his shoulder and the rest of their bags being pulled behind him, pushed the stroller toward the bank of elevators where she used her access card once more and pushed a button to call the elevator.

Once inside, Sarah pressed the button for the fourth floor, causing the doors to close and the car to make its way upwards from the parking garage. A soft ding preceded the doors opening to the plush carpeting and bold colors that marked the hall to Sarah’s door. With a smile over her shoulder to Chuck, she took a left turn and went a little more than halfway down the hall, stopping at yet another door which opened using the access card she still had in her hand.

“Well, this is it,” She shrugged as they entered the furnished apartment, crossing the linoleum that marked the entrance way and kitchen area which was to their right and headed into the living room with its soft beige carpeting. Unbuckling and lifting Molly into her arms, Sarah gave Chuck the penny tour pointing to the kitchen they’d just passed through which boasted an island against which sat three plush leather barstools in a bold red. The living room had a long couch along one wall, a high-def tv against the opposite wall, and a glass coffee table in between. Going down a short hallway, she nodded toward the closet which held the washer and dryer for the unit before opening a door along the opposite wall and down a little which led into the bedroom. Against the far wall was a large, pillow top, king-sized bed with a large white feather duvet and fluffy pillows. There were two-drawer bedside tables on either side of the large bed, and along the wall that looked like it had cut a corner out of what would have been the rectangular room sat a tall dresser and wardrobe which Chuck found curious considering the next stop on the tour.

She turned toward the other side of the room where a door to a large walk-in closet could be found. Despite the dresser and wardrobe in the room, Chuck half expected to find racks and racks of clothes in the closet, but he was wrong. Instead of shelves and hanging rods, he found the entire walk-in closet had been converted in to a mini armory. “Yeah, we’re not letting Molly anywhere near here,” He shook his head only to have Sarah roll her eyes as she led the way out of the small room and closed the door. She led him back into the hallway and directly across from the bedroom, revealing the small bathroom which had been decorated in shades of green and blue.

“Well, that’s about it,” She shrugged, “I’ll start boxing things up tomorrow while you are interviewing people. For now, it’s late, at least for here, I think we ought to get to bed. I think we can forgo bath time tonight and just put Molly straight to bed. Would you mind setting up the pack’n’play while I get her ready for bed?”

Chuck smiled and nodded, grabbing the small crib from where they’d left their baggage in the living room. He set the carrying case in the bedroom before going back out and grabbing their baggage, laying Molly’s diaper bag on the bed beside his girlfriend, he turned to get the crib set up. By the time he was done, Molly’s grey and purple blanket folded over the side of the bed, Sarah had changed and diapered the infant. He smiled as he heard her softly singing her lullaby to the baby, lulling the child, who had awoken slightly as she was being changed, back to sleep. Chuck kissed the head of the infant when Sarah paused briefly at the side of the crib and watched as she bent over and gently laid the baby down, covering her with her blanket and rubbing her back until the little girl drifted off to sleep once more.

“We should probably hit the sack, too,” Chuck smiled softly, “I have to be at headquarters by 09:00 for the first interview.”

Sarah simply nodded her agreement and crossed the room to where Chuck had parked the suitcases. Turning hers on its side, she snagged a shirt and a pair of sleep shorts from the bag while Chuck claimed a shirt and sleep pants from his own luggage. She quickly changed and turned back toward the bed, to see Chuck pause, hand grasping the corner of the duvet, staring wide eyed at her. “I was wondering where that shirt had gotten off to,” He murmured, partly in awe of her wearing his Stanford t-shirt, which was long enough to cover the short sleep shorts she was wearing, and partly so as to not disturb the infant sleeping not three feet from his side of the bed.

“It was so comfortable the first time you let me borrow it, I kinda claimed it for my own,” Sarah shrugged, “I hope you don’t mind.”

“So long as you don’t mind me taking it off you at some point,” A sexy grin spread across Chuck’s face as he ran his eyes slowly over her frame before meeting her eyes once more, “Not tonight, we need sleep tonight, but definitely…” He sighed, “Definitely soon.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Sarah smiled back at him, slipping under the covers as Chuck did the same. They both shifted toward the middle of the bed where they snuggled up, Sarah’s head resting on his chest while his arms encircled her, and their legs tangled together. Despite it only being 8pm for them, the combination of the long travel day and early start had tired them out. They soon drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~

The first thing that Chuck noticed upon awakening was there was a weight settled on his chest. However, it was not the same weight that had rested there the night before, it was lighter and in a different position. He slowly opened his eyes to find a pair of baby blues staring right at him along with a drooling grin. “Well good morning, Sweet Pea,” He drawled sleepily. The little girl, hearing the nickname and recognizing the voice squealed and wriggled, causing the hand he already had resting on her back to tighten so as to prevent her from wriggling off of him.

With a slight grunt, he snuggled the little girl to his chest and sat up, turning until he was seated on the edge of the bed, “What do you say we go find your mama?” He smiled as the girl snuggled into him, laying her head on his shoulder as he slowly stood and made his way out to the living room.

“Good morning, sleepy head,” Sarah smiled over at him from the kitchen where she stood at the stove.

“What time is it?” Chuck yawned, “And what smells so good?”

“Almost seven,” Sarah informed him, transferring something from the pan in her hand to a plate and setting the plate on the island. “I made ham and cheese omelets, do you want coffee?”

“Do you even have to ask?” He quirked a small smile at her as he settled himself on one of the barstools, settling the little girl on his lap as he picked up the fork that was provided and dug into his breakfast. A moment later, Sarah set a steaming cup of coffee in front of him.

“Sweet with a bit of cream, just like you like it,” She smiled at him before turning back to the coffee pot and pouring herself a cup, “Do you need me to take her?”

“No, I got her for now,” Chuck shook his head between bites, “This is really good!”

“Thank you,” Sarah blushed, “But don’t get used to it, I was only able to do this because I’m not actually working today, and little miss started drifting off again after her bottle this morning and was content snuggling with you.”

“I was wondering how it was I awoke with her in my arms rather than you,” Chuck grinned at her, “Not that I’m complaining, Sarah, but it would have been even better if you were there too.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, so long as you remember it may not actually happen until we no longer have an infant at home,” Sarah took a bite of his omelet, “You have about an hour before you need to leave, it doesn’t take long to get to headquarters from here, maybe 20 minutes or so.”

“Okay,” Chuck nodded, finishing the rest of his breakfast and coffee. “Can you take her now? I should probably take a shower so that I don’t smell like an airport when I head in.”

“Hand her over,” Sarah held out her arms to receive the infant who initially resisted releasing her comfortable snuggle spot before settling her head in the crook of her mother’s neck. Sarah walked toward the bedroom to see Chuck, suitcase open, looking over the shirts he had packed. On the nearby wardrobe, he had his garment bag hanging open, showing the suits he had brought with him. She knew he wanted to make a good impression, “Navy blue suit, white shirt, silver and blue striped tie,” She suggested, turning and walking from the room.

Chuck couldn’t help but laugh as he grabbed the items she had just named along with his undershirt, socks, and boxers. Grabbing his shaving kit, he ducked into the bathroom, quickly going through his normal routine, brush teeth, shave, shower. Once he was dressed, he crossed the hall once more to grab his shoes. Grabbing a pair of dark leather shoes, he slid them on his feet and laced them up. “So, what do you think?” He asked stepping into the living area to see Molly in her car seat while Sarah finished washing the dishes from breakfast.

Sarah gave him a once-over as she dried her hands on a dishtowel. She carefully took in everything about him from his perfectly coifed hair that was just starting to curl. To the way his suit followed the line of his body without giving away the weapon he carried in a shoulder holster, the jacket fastened at the first button. His tie was slightly askew, which made her fingers itch to fix it, making a mental note to make sure it was straight before he left, she allowed her eyes to travel down to his slacks which showed off his long, strong legs without being too revealing. She had seen him in this suit before and it was one of her favorites. The only thing that gave her pause was when she looked at his feet. “Where are your converse?” She frowned slightly at the dress shoes on his feet.

“In the room,” Chuck shrugged casually, “I wanted to make a good impression.”

“Chuck,” Sarah rounded the kitchen island to stand before him. She straightened his tie, noticing how his Adam’s apple bobbed nervously, and fussed with the lapel of his jacket before lowering her voice, “You are the only agent who can pull off chucks with a suit. Go change your shoes, the dark grey ones.”

“Y-yes ma’am,” Chuck stuttered, stepping back as Sarah trailed her fingertips down the front of his suit. He quickly changed out the shoes and returned to the living room where Sarah stood grinning.

“Perfect,” She stepped toward him once more and straightened his tie which had yet again come askew. Once it was straight, she slid her hands up and over his shoulder brushing off his jacket before letting the fingers of one of her hands play with the longer hair at the nape of his neck. She had noticed he’d not cut it since he’d discovered how much she enjoyed running her fingers through his hair, mussing and fixing his curls. “Now, have a good day at work, good luck with the interviews.”

“Thanks, Sarah,” He quirked a grin at her and lowered his lips to hers in a sensuous kiss. “I hope it goes okay.”

“I think it will,” Sarah smiled up at him, “Anyone would be lucky to work with you at Carmichael CyberTech. Don’t forget, that you are in control here, make sure you get agents who will not only mesh well with you and the culture you want to have in the office, but also are aligned with the direction you want Double C to go in, both as an op and as a digital security firm.”

“Okay,” Chuck nodded, “I should probably get going, I should hopefully be done around five. I’ll come home and help you to pack or organize your things then.”

“Hopefully you won’t need to,” Sarah shrugged, “If all goes to plan, I should have everything of mine boxed, labeled, and ready for the movers to pick up by tonight or tomorrow after that we’ll move over to a hotel while you finish up your interviews.”

“With any luck, I’ll have the team picked by Friday,” Chuck gave her a small smile, “I really want to get back home soon.”

“Me too,” Sarah rose up on her toes and gave him a soft kiss and a hug, “Now get going, you don’t want to be late. Do you have your credentials?”

“Yes, Dear,” Chuck smirked, undoing the button of his suit jacket and reaching into his breast pocket, pulling out the credentials wallet that held his badge, agency ID, concealed carry license, and state identification all listing him as Charles Carmichael, and flipping it open to show her before placing it back in his pocket. “Would you also like to pin a note to my backpack or check to make sure I have my Tron lunchbox packed with lunchables and a juice box?” He arched his eyebrow at her.

“Shut up,” Sarah snickered, smacking him lightly on the chest and kissing him once more, “I only ask because I’ve gotten half way there and realized I had the wrong wallet.”

“C’mon, it’s me,” Chuck smirked, “I’ll see you later.” He pulled on his dark grey trench coat and crossed to the island where the baby carrier sat. “And I’ll see you too, Sweet Pea,” He kissed the infant on her chubby cheek, making Sarah’s insides melt at the tender care he showed her daughter, and grabbed his keys and laptop case before heading out the door.

~~~~~~~~~

Chuck slowed as he came to the front gate, stopping at the guard stand long enough to show his credentials and be waived through to the employee parking area. He nodded his thanks to the guard and continued on to the parking area. Pulling into the parking stall and letting out a deep breath, Chuck turned off the engine, grabbed his laptop, and headed toward the employee entrance. He pressed his hand against the scanning plate long enough for the sensor to register his palm print, releasing the lock on the door long enough for him to open it and slip into the warm building.

Director Graham had made it clear that his first stop of the day should be to see him, so he quickly made his way to the elevator, selecting the button for the director’s office, and waited for the doors to close. Hearing the bell ding, indicating he’d reached the correct floor, Chuck took a stabilizing breath and headed toward the director’s office. The waiting area of the office held a row of chairs along one wall and the standard secretary’s desk. He approached the young woman who was sitting there and gave her a kind smile, “Good morning, Miss Jenkins, I am here to see Director Graham.”

The young woman looked up at him, blushed, and returned his smile. “Your name?”

“Carmichael,” Chuck informed her, trying to not sound like a bad Bond imitation, “Charles Carmichael.”

“The director has been expecting you, Agent Carmichael,” Miss Jenkins informed him, tucking a strand of auburn hair behind her ear, “He is currently on a conference call, but I’ll send you in once he is done. Please take a seat, and I’ll call you when he’s ready.”

“Thank you, Miss Jenkins,” Chuck nodded and took a seat. He pulled out his tablet and began reviewing the files of the applicants he would be interviewing one more time. He’d only been sitting a few minutes when Miss Jenkins called his name, informing him that the director was ready to see him. Nodding his appreciation to her, he put his tablet away and, slowly rising to his feet, made his way into the director’s office and opened the door.

“Agent Carmichael,” Director Graham nodded to a chair in front of the desk, “So I hear you’ve had a rather interesting couple of weeks.”

“That would be an understatement, Sir,” He chuckled wryly, “Although, I can’t say that I’m not glad of the after effects of it. Well, except for the occasional flash-induced migraine.”

“Yes, Agent Walker informed us about that,” Graham nodded, “We are looking to find a neurologist who can be read into the project so that we can monitor the effect the Intersect is having on your brain.”

“If I may, Sir,” Chuck interjected, “My sister is awaiting acceptance to a Neurology fellowship with the goal of specializing in the field, assuming she gets it, might you consider her?”

“Agent Carmichael, I’m not sure if that would be a good idea,” Graham warned, “But we will not rule her out as a possible candidate, assuming she gets the fellowship.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Chuck gave the older man a pleased smile.

“On to other business,” Graham continued, “We have set aside the small conference room on level 3 for your interviews over the next few days, I assume you have narrowed the pool of candidates down?”

“Yes, Sir,” Chuck nodded, “But there was one name I didn’t see listed.”

“Really?” Graham raised his eyebrow at the agent, “The list we gave you was quite accurate to the specifications you sent us for potential agents and analysts for your team.”

“I agree,” Chuck nodded, “But was there a reason why Orion was left off the list.”

“’Orion?’” Graham repeated, “Why would you be interested in him?”

“Why wouldn’t I be interested in him?” Chuck countered, “He is the best technological mind in the company. He has designed and/or built most of the secure hardware and software we use on a daily basis. And rumor has it he is better at obtaining information and access by -alternate- means than I am. He would be quite the asset to have working for a cyber security company, don’t you think?”

“I agree,” Graham hesitantly agreed, “However, he has made it clear that there are certain locations he would prefer not to work in; the greater Los Angeles area being one of them.”

“Maybe I can change his mind,” Chuck shrugged, “Can I at least have a crack at persuading him?”

“Orion is rather jealous of his privacy and lives off grid,” Graham sighed, “I have ways to contact him, but it may be a while before you can get a response, if you get one at all.”

“Understood, Director,” Chuck nodded, “One more thing on the subject of Orion and also concerning the _incident_ a couple weeks ago, when the incident occurred, it fried my computer. I put in a formal request to have another one built but have not heard back yet. I also would like one of his computers for my office as well.”

“Your request was passed on to him,” Graham informed him, “However, there are certain agents that Orion insists on personally building hardware for, you are one of them.”

“Really?” Chuck raised his eyebrow, “Isn’t that odd?”

“He has stated that your particular set of skills requires you to have equipment specifically made for you to better enable you to fully utilize your abilities,” The director shrugged, “I suppose working on the intersect project with you allowed him to better understand your technological needs. At least one other prior Project Omaha agent has equipment tailor-made by Orion.”

“Orion was on Project Omaha?” Chuck’s eyes widened, surprised at the information.

“He was a part of the team that created and developed the Intersect,” Graham informed him.

“I don’t recall ever meeting him,” Chuck remarked.

“You wouldn’t have, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t familiar with your work.” Graham shook his head, “He is a bit of a hermit, has been for years, and was rarely on site of the project. He had no interest in meeting with any of the analysts, although he did know and monitored those who were assigned to the project and was very vocal about his opinion over who had been recruited.”

“I suppose I can understand that,” Chuck nodded, “I would feel the same way if I had a sensitive project, I’d want to have a say in who would work on it. Case in point, I have to go get set up and start the interviews for my team.”

“How long do you think it will take to conduct your interviews?” Director Graham asked.

“I am hoping to complete the interviews by Friday at the latest,” Chuck gave a slight shrug, “I’d like to get back to California as soon as I can. I want to oversee the office set up to make sure it is ready to go by the time my team arrives.”

“In that case I will leave you to it,” Graham nodded, “Good luck, Agent Carmichael.”

“Thank you, Director,” Chuck rose, and shook the older man’s hand before shouldering his laptop bag and exiting the office. Waving a good bye to Miss Jenkins, who was on the phone, he headed down to set up for his interviews.

It didn’t take long for Chuck to prepare to conduct the interviews. After checking the duty roster for the next few days, he sent out emails to the candidates and their supervisors scheduling the meeting times for the interviews. By the end of the day, Chuck was pleased that he was able to make it through half of his list, including Greta, Josie McAllister and Damian Ballas. He quickly uploaded the tapes of the interviews to his lap top to review later, if needed, and packed up. Shouldering his laptop case, he turned out the lights, secured the room and headed back out to his car.

He set the satchel he used for his laptop case in the seat next to him and made his way out of the parking lot. Pausing briefly for the guard to notate his departure, he made his way to highway 123 to head back to the apartment for the night. With the rush hour traffic, the commute nearly doubled in length. By 17:35 he was pulling into the underground parking. He quickly slid into the parking stall and, grabbing his laptop case, he headed for the elevators. 

He was mentally reviewing the agents and analysts he’d met with that day when he heard the elevator’s bell cheerfully indicate he’d reached his requested floor. Making his way down the hall he pulled his access card from his wallet and tapped it against the sensor box on the door. Hearing the faint click, he entered the unit. “Hi Honey, I’m home!” He called, before noticing the mix of cardboard and secure-lock armament boxes stacked up in the living room, “Wow, you really have been busy!”

“Hey, Sweetheart,” Sarah entered from the bedroom, Molly on her hip, and gave him a quick kiss. “I think I’m just about done with packing up here, the apartment was furnished by the CIA, so they will make arrangements for it to be picked up. Oh, and speaking of CIA, would you mind taking the Lotus with you tomorrow? I can’t really fit Molly’s car seat in there since there’s no back seat, and it needs all the bells and whistles removed before it can be sent to the dealership to be sold. The mod shop in on the Langley campus so if you could just go in early tomorrow and drop it off there, it would be a big help. They’ll take care of getting the car to the dealership from there, once it sells, they’ll send us a check.”

“You’re going to let me drive the Lotus?” Chuck raised his eyebrow in surprise.

“Only out of sheer necessity,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “We’ll pick you up at the end of your day.”

“Okay,” Chuck gave her a winsome smile, “I can take care of it just make sure you have the key ready for me tomorrow.”

“I can do you one better,” She walked over to her purse and pulled out a key ring holding a key and a key fob, “Catch.”

Chuck snagged the key ring from the air as it began it’s descent, “Ha! Thank you, Dad, for letting me play little league!” He grinned pocketing the key. “So, I’m guessing with all the packing activity, dinner is yet to be decided?”

“Dinner it taken care of,” Sarah smiled, “I ordered pizza, I hope vegetarian is okay.”

“Vegetarian, no olives, is fine by me,” Chuck assured her, “While we wait, let me just get out of this suit.”

“But you look so nice in it,” Sarah pouted, shifting Molly in her arms.

“Tell you what,” Chuck offered, “You two dress nice tomorrow when you come to pick me up and I’ll take my two best girls out for dinner.”

“Dinner tomorrow sounds great,” Sarah smiled at him, “Now go change while I get Molly settled in her playpen.”

Chuck gave her a nod and ducked into the bedroom and changed quickly. By the time he returned in a pair of jeans and a brown long-sleeved t-shirt, Sarah was setting the pizza box on the island. “Looks like I got back just in time,” He grinned, grabbing a couple bottles of beer while Sarah opened the box, “Hey I know I just got back from work and you have been packing all day, but would you mind reviewing the interviews with me while we eat, I would really like your opinion on these guys.”

“Sure,” Sarah nodded, settling on one of the barstools.

“Great,” Chuck quickly handed her beer to her before setting up his laptop and grabbing a couple slices of pizza for himself, “So the first person I met with was that Greta person, she’s intense…”

About the time they had finished reviewing the second interview, it was time to start getting Molly ready for bed. Chuck rose from his seat, assuring Sarah that he was going to hold to his lost bet, he rolled up his sleeves and ducked into the bathroom. Sarah could hear the water running when he returned, sleeves pushed up to his elbows as crossed to the bedroom before crossing the hall once more, carrying a stack of items which she identified as Molly’s pajamas, bath products, towel, as well as wipes and a fresh diaper. Soon the water was turned off and he returned to the living room. Scooping the baby into his arms, he blew a raspberry on the little girl’s cheek, making her giggle.

“Alright, Sweet Pea, bath time!” He sang, carrying the baby into the bathroom as Sarah just smiled, and shook her head at his antics. Before long, she heard splashing and a groan followed by his warm laughter, and the delighted giggle of her daughter.

Fifteen minutes later, she heard the door to the bathroom open once more, looking up, she found Chuck, who had taken off his shirt after being splashed, carrying a freshly bathed and clothed Molly. “Fresh and clean,” Chuck grinned, sniffing Molly’s head theatrically before dipping the little girl so that Sarah could get a whiff, “Gotta love that smell.”

“It is one of my favorites,” Sarah agreed, stroking the little girl’s cheek and pressing a kiss to her forehead, “Have a good bath baby girl?” She turned her head to Chuck, “Do you need me to move her pack’n’play into the bedroom for you?”

“Could you?” He gave her a small smile, “I’ll warm up her bottle while you do that.”

“Sounds good,” Sarah nodded, making sure the video of the interview she was watching was paused before standing and stretching. She quickly moved the crib into the bedroom and made sure that Molly’s blanket and favorite plushie was nearby. When she returned to the kitchen, she found Chuck sitting on the couch, Molly wrapped in her blanket and cradled in his arms, holding the bottle the little girl was sleepily drinking from. She couldn’t help but stop and take in the view. Chuck was so good with Molly, Sarah couldn’t help falling in love with him all over again.

Chuck caught her staring and gave her a small smile before turning to look down at the girl in his arms. It was clear that Molly, who had finished her evening bottle, was very nearly out. He put the bottle down on the coffee table before adjusting the girl in his arms and slowly stood to his full height. “Hey,” He whispered, dropping a brief kiss on Sarah’s lips as he passed her, “I’m gonna put her down and we can get back to those interviews.”

“Okay,” Sarah replied softly, kissing the baby on her head, “Good night, Little One, Mama loves you.”

Chuck gave her a soft smile before turning and carrying the baby into the bedroom. Sarah returned to the laptop and continued watching the interview she’d paused at a low volume. She could hear Chuck as he walked around the bedroom, softly singing to the baby.

“_Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry, go to sleep my little baby…”_ She heard him sing, noticing the new song he’d chosen. She paused the video once more and sat back listening to him sing her daughter to sleep.

_He’s going to make a great Dad someday,_ she thought to herself before realizing that he was already a great dad, which made her already large grin broaden even more, her heart swelling with affection for him.

As soon as Molly was settled in her crib, he quietly exited the room, closing the door until it was only open a crack and joined Sarah in the kitchen, “She’s down,” A smile blooming on his lips as Sarah reached up and gave him a kiss, “Not that I’m complaining, Sarah, but what was that for?”

“Just for being you,” She grinned up at him, “Now, let me tell you what I think so far about these agents.”

The two went over the interviews that had been done that day and soon had weeded out two more, agreeing they would not fit with the team, “I agree, Gretta, or whatever her name is, is way too intense, to mesh with the dynamic we are going for at Carmichael,” Sarah shook her head as Chuck moved the applicable folder to the declined file.

Once the last interview had been watched and a decision made on the applicant, Chuck stood and stretched, his lower back popping quietly, “I don’t know about you but I’m ready for bed.” He nodded to the clock on the stove which read 22:30.

“Would you like some company?” Sarah suggested, a coy smile on her lips.

“Why Mrs. Charles, are you trying to seduce me?” Chuck drawled, resurrecting his Texan accent as he pulled Sarah to him by her hips and kissing her.

“Is it working?” Sarah whispered against his lips, as she wrapped her hands up over his shoulders, winding her fingers through his hair.

“Do you have to ask?” He murmured, pulling her flush with him, “Bed?”

“Bed,” Sarah agreed giggling softly as Chuck led her into the bedroom and into their bed.


	10. Chapter 10

When Chuck stepped out of the bathroom, fastening his watch around his wrist, Sarah’s jaw just about dropped at how good he looked. He always looked good to her, but today he looked extra handsome to her eyes. He was wearing a trim black suit that accentuated his lean frame, his sky-blue shirt had the top button undone. His tie, which was a shade or two darker than his shirt with thick and thin alternating diagonal black stripes on it, was undone and hanging loosely around his neck, his pants fit him nicely, and he wore his black converse all-stars on his feet. “Charles Bartowski, you are looking good!” Sarah grinned wolfishly at him, causing him to blush.

“Thanks, Sarah,” He walked over to her, his own roguish smile playing on his lips and gave her a warm kiss, “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” She murmured against his lips, gripping his lapels until the kiss had ended. As they pulled back, she picked up the ends of his tie in her hands, “Need a little help?” She asked, pressing a kiss to the hollow of his throat, before pulling back and letting the silken material slip slowly from between her fingers.

“I’m going to need another shower, a cold one, if you keep that up,” He growled playfully at her, a grin spreading across his face as his eyes twinkled mischievously.

“We can’t have that,” She teased him, buttoning his top button and popping the collar of his shirt. She quickly adjusted the tie around his neck and deftly tied it in a four-in-hand knot before tightening it until it drew his collar closed but not so tight it felt like it choked him. “There, much better,” She refolded his collar and ran the palm of her hand down the front if his tie, flattening it against his chest and torso before buttoning the top button of his suit jacket, “Very dapper.”

“Thank you,” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips, “Let me grab some breakfast and I’ll be on my way.”

Sarah simply nodded as he stepped around her, grabbing bowls, spoons, cereal, and milk. Once he’d set them on the island counter, he poured them each a bowl of cereal and passed one bowl to her. They ate their breakfast, conversing lightly about their plans for the day, until Molly’s cry indicated that she’d awoken. Sarah excused herself to retrieve and change the baby, returning just as Chuck was shrugging into his trench coat and grabbing his laptop case. He picked up his wallet and the keys to the Lotus before kissing both Sarah and Molly goodbye and heading off to work.

~~~~~~~~~

“Good morning, Agent Carmichael,” The guard greeted him when he presented his badge, “Beautiful car! This definitely wasn’t what you came in yesterday; the wife’s?”

“Yes and no, Nate,” He chuckled, “This isn’t the car I was in yesterday, this is Agent Walker’s car, she asked me to drive it in for her today. She can’t keep it, so we have to have all the bells and whistles taken out.”

“You and Agent Walker, huh? Haven’t seen her here in nearly a year.” Nate gave him an impressed look, “How long has that been going on?”

“We met on a flight by coincidence a while back and hit it off,” Chuck shrugged, “Been together ever since.”

“Lucky man,” The guard whistled, “She’s a beautiful lady.”

“Smart too, and she puts up with me, so I count myself pretty lucky.” Chuck shrugged, taking his ID back from the guard, “I’ll see you later, Nate. Oh, and Sar, um, Agent Walker will be by to pick me up this afternoon, please don’t give her too much trouble.”

“You got it, Agent Carmichael,” Nate smiled and gave him a nod and a two-fingered salute, “Have a good day.”

“You too,” Chuck smiled, rolling up his window. Shifting into first, he made his way down toward the customization shop. The guys were waiting for him to arrive and directed him into the bay right away. The mechanics swore they’d take good care of the Lotus from deinstallation to delivery to the dealership as they accepted the keys. It was a dealership they’d worked with before, so they were able to assure Chuck that Sarah’s check would be in the mail within a few weeks. Chuck thanked them and hopped in the waiting golf cart that would take him up to the main building so that he could continue on with his interviews.

As he settled himself in the conference room, he breathed a sigh of relief as he looked over the interview schedule for the day. He had gotten lucky and the last of the interviews were scheduled to wrap up that afternoon so that the agents who were being brought onto the project could be notified by the end of the day on Friday.

~~~~~~~~~

Molly had been fussy all day, and Sarah was feeling a bit frazzled by the time they arrived at the entry gate of the CIA headquarters. “Aw, Baby, I know you don’t like being in that thing,” Sarah cooed over her shoulder as Molly whimpered in her carrier. Thankfully the little girl had quieted some as Sarah waited her turn to show her ID at the gate.

“Good afternoon, Ma’am,” The middle-aged guard approached the vehicle, “May I see an ID please?”

“Of course,” Sarah smiled warmly at the man, “How are you doing today, Nate? How’s the family?”

“Agent Walker!” He looked up from the ID, a paternal grin on his face, “It’s good to see you again. Agent Carmichael said you would be coming by today.”

Molly chose that moment to make her presence known with a wail, causing her mother to sigh.

“You got a kid in there?” Nate looked up surprised, “I guess that would explain why Agent Carmichael brought in your Lotus this morning.”

“Yeah, my daughter, Molly,” Sarah nodded before turning around and trying to console the little girl, “Just a few more minutes, Sweetheart.”

Nate looked in the back window, “She’s beautiful, Sarah,” He smiled at the child, “Looks just like you. How are you adjusting to motherhood?”

“Thanks, Nate,” Sarah grinned, “I’m still adjusting to having her and working. Thankfully, we found a daycare center near our new base of operations that will take her any time of the day or night if we get called out on a mission. So far, we’ve only had to use it a few times when we weren’t able to work from home. Chuck, er, Agent Carmichael is really good with her too, most of the time if she starts to fuss, he beats me to her, and calms her down almost instantly.”

“A daddy’s girl?” The guard gave her a knowing look.

“You have no idea,” She chuckled, pulling out her phone to show the older man the picture of Chuck and Molly snuggled up on the couch napping, a grey throw with a crimson “S” laying over top of them. “I think he’s already trying to recruit her to Stanford, I may have to step in and persuade her over to Harvard later, but we’ll see.”

“He looks like a natural,” Nate chuckled, handing the phone back to her, “I should let you go then, can’t keep Agent Carmichael waiting.”

“You’re probably right,” Sarah smiled, “I’ll see you later, Nate.”

“Have a good day, Agent Walker,” He nodded to her, before turning his head to the back seat, “Molly.” He then raised the gate and allowed the car to continue onto the property.

~~~~~~~~~

Sarah made her way to the employee parking lot and pulled into an empty space, turning off the car, she quickly gathered her purse before walking around to the back seat and pulling Molly from her car seat. Grabbing the diaper bag, she shouldered the strap and locked the doors. With Molly cradled against her chest, she made her way to the standard access point and scanned her hand to gain entry to the building. She quickly made her way to the information desk near the public entry way and approached the agent working there.

“How may I be of assistance, Ma’am?” The young woman inquired, her eyes glancing over Sarah and the child in her arms. It was clear the young woman was confused as to why a baby was present in the building, it was almost as if she’d never seen an infant before.

“I need to know where Agent Carmichael is,” Sarah informed her, pulling out her credentials and showing them to the receptionist, “I’m here to pick him up.”

“Let me look into that, Agent Walker,” The woman turned her focus to her computer and typed in a few commands, “Agent Carmichael is in the third-floor small conference room today, would you like me to call and let him know you are coming?”

“No, that won’t be necessary,” Sarah shook her head, “He’s expecting me.”

Sarah took her credentials back from the receptionist, not noticing the look on the other woman’s face when Sarah’s rings caught the light and rounded the desk to make her way to the bank of elevators. Shifting Molly to her other side, as the child had grown heavy in her arm, she pressed the button for the third floor. They listened to the muzak in the elevator until finally a bell rung above their heads signaling that they had reached their floor. Sarah took a left turn and headed toward the small conference room. She could see Chuck, head bent over his computer, compiling the video of the day’s interviews for later review, his back was to the door, so she knocked to get his attention. Before he could turn around, she ducked out of sight of the door frame and leaned Molly over so that her little head could be seen.

“Hey there Sweet Pea!” Chuck crooned excitedly, quickly rising from his seat and walking to the door. He took Molly from her mother’s arms and, taking Sarah’s hand pulled her into the room and shut the door. He kissed Sarah in greeting before giving her a dazzling smile that warmed her to her toes, “Hello, my breathtakingly beautiful girlfriend. I’m sorry you had to come up to get me, I must have lost track of time.”

“No apology needed,” Sarah shook her head, “I wasn’t waiting, I came right in since we were a little early, thought it would be nice to surprise you.”

“Well color me surprised,” Chuck grinned, “I was just uploading the last of the videos for us to review to night after dinner, let me pack up and we can go.”

“You just have to put away your laptop, right?” Sarah inquired. When Chuck nodded, she walked over to the table, and began packing away his computer and other equipment, “I got this, you snuggle her, she’s missed you.”

“I think I can handle that,” Chuck smiled down at the girl in his arms, “I missed my Sweet Pea too, just as much as I missed her mother today. Sarah, I gotta tell you, these interviews would have gone so much faster if you could have just joined me here today. At least they’re done, though.” He noticed Molly making a face which was followed shortly after by the olfactory indication of what had just happened, “Hey Babe, where is Molly’s diaper bag?”

“In the chair,” Sarah nodded toward the chair Chuck had been sitting in before they’d arrived.

“Great,” He grabbed the bag, “Little Miss left us a present, I’m going to go change her and I’ll be right back, then we can go.”

A few moments after Chuck had ducked out of the room, Sarah heard a ringing from her bag. “Walker, secure.”

“Graham, secure,” Came the voice of their illustrious leader, “I heard you were in the office.”

“Yes, sir,” Sarah nodded, putting the last of the USB cables away, “I came to pick up Agent Carmichael since he drove my Lotus in today.”

“Very well,” Graham responded, “Before you go, I would like to see you and Agent Bartowski in my office.”

“Yes, sir,” Sarah replied, “He stepped away for a moment, but as soon as he returns, we will be right up.”

Graham hung up with no further response just as Chuck returned to the room, “Who was on the phone?”

“Graham,” Sarah sighed, “He wants to see the two of us in his office before we go.”

“Probably wants an update on our progress,” Chuck shrugged, “Might as well get it over with.”

“You might want to hand Molly and her diaper bag over to me,” Sarah held out her arms, “If we are keeping our relationship from Graham, it probably wouldn’t look good if you showed up holding her.”

“Fine,” Chuck sighed, handing the diaper bag and then the baby back to his girlfriend, “But I call dibs on the way out of the office, I still need my Molly snuggle time.”

“You big softie,” Sarah chuckled, adjusting the strap of the diaper bag over her shoulder and shouldering her purse she waited as Chuck collected his laptop case and opened the door for them. As soon as they’d stepped out of the conference room, he turned out the lights and closed the door. Placing a hand on the small of Sarah’s back he guided her to the elevator bay to head up to the director’s office.

Neither heard the whispers that followed them, truth be told the gossip in the CIA was worse than that of little old biddies at a quilting bee.

“Who is that with Agent Carmichael?”

“I don’t know, must be his wife.”

“I didn’t know he was married.”

“If the rings they are wearing are any indication, he is.”

“Wow, how about that?”

“Has a kid too. I saw him take her down toward the restrooms earlier, blonde curls everywhere.”

“Hey, isn’t that Agent Walker?”

“Yeah, what is she doing with a baby? Did you know she had a baby; when was she ever pregnant?”

“I haven’t seen her here in a while, maybe she just got back from maternity leave.”

“I wonder whose it is.”

“Probably Larkin’s.”

“Too bad he turned out to be a traitorous bastard, probably never knew he’d knocked her up.”

“Isn’t that Carmichael with Walker? Poor guy; do you think he knows it’s someone else’s kid.”

“Give the guy a little credit, he’s one of the best. I’m sure he knows, he probably just doesn’t care.”

~~~~~~~~~

The elevator opened to the administrative floor of the building, Chuck waived a hand to indicate that Sarah and Molly should go ahead of him, stepping around them only to open and hold the door to Graham’s outer office for them. As if in an unspoken agreement, Sarah took a seat in the waiting area as Chuck approached the secretary’s desk.

“Good evening Miss Jenkins,” Chuck gave her a charming smile, “Director Graham asked to see Agent Walker and myself.”

“I’ll let him know you’re here.” She nodded, but before picking up the phone, she gave him a coy smile, “You know, you two have been the talk of the office for the past little bit. Congratulations by the way, your daughter is adorable.”

“Thank you,” Chuck grinned, not bothering to correct the secretary’s assumption, and then crossed to take his seat next to Sarah.

“You know you could turn the charm down to like seven,” Sarah teased him, trying not to let the twinge of jealousy she felt show on her face.

“Sorry, Hunny,” Chuck gave her hand a quick squeeze and settled into his seat. As they waited, Molly began to fuss, only calming once Chuck took her in his arms and began to pace the waiting area, not noticing the adoring smiles he was receiving from Miss Jenkins, or the equally jealous looks Sarah was receiving from the same source.

Mid way through one of his circuits, he heard the secretary call his name, “The Director will see you now.”

“Thank you, Miss Jenkins,” Chuck nodded before turning toward Sarah who rose and joined him. Opening the door, he allowed Sarah to cross in front of him before following her into the inner office. The two stood in front of the director’s desk before the older man motioned for them to take their seats.

“Agents Carmichael and Walker, the pair of you have caused quite an uproar in the office this afternoon,” The director started.

“We apologize, Director Graham,” Sarah spoke first, “That was not our intention, as I mentioned on the phone, Agent Carmichael was helping me out by dropping off my Lotus to the customization shop. I was just here to pick him up.”

“Was it necessary to bring the child?” The director lifted and eyebrow.

“Well I couldn’t very well leave her in the car, Sir,” Sarah protested.

“Sir, we are only here for a short time and did not anticipate both needing to be in the office during this visit,” Chuck added, “Considering that, neither of us realized that childcare arrangements would need to be made while we are here. Besides, had I been ready to go, and you hadn’t called this impromptu meeting, she could have been in and out within a few minutes. I’m sorry if Molly’s presence here has disturbed the workplace environment, but we will be gone soon.”

“You do realize that there are now rumors circulating around the office regarding not only the paternity of the child but the status of your relationship, as well?” Graham lifted a well-groomed eyebrow.

“Sir, as we told you before, our cover is that of lovers,” Sarah reminded him, “There is nothing more to our partnership than work associates and friends.”

“And the rings?” He inquired.

“As per protocol, we traveled under assumed names,” Chuck responded, “Since we knew that we would be bringing Molly with us, we thought it would be prudent to travel as a married couple. To be honest, I forgot I was wearing the ring.”

“As did I,” Sarah shrugged, playing with the rings self-consciously now that she remembered they were there. “They are just for the cover as we are traveling, nothing more. They’ll be removed once we return to LA.”

“Very well,” Director Graham nodded, “Where do we stand on the operations base out there?”

“The renovation of the office space was already underway by the time we left,” Sarah advised, “It should be completed within a few weeks.”

“I completed the last of the interviews today, sir,” Chuck advised, “We will review them tonight and have a decision on who we plan to offer positions to by tomorrow. We plan to leave either tomorrow night or Saturday morning, unless there is something else that requires our presence here beyond that.”

“No, Agent Carmichael,” Graham shook his head, “Beyond the list of recruits for the LA operation, nothing further is required of you. You are dismissed.”

“Thank you, sir,” Chuck rose, shifted Molly to his left side and extended his right hand to shake the director’s, Sarah likewise shook the director’s hand, before turning and guiding Sarah out of the office and down to the parking lot.

~~~~~~~~~

Sarah had tossed the keys to Chuck as soon as they got to the car. Once Molly was fastened into her car seat and Sarah was settled in her own, Chuck rounded the car and started the engine. It didn’t take long to leave the complex, the adults waiving at Nate as he raised the exit gate for them. A short drive later had them pulling into a small shopping plaza which housed an Italian restaurant that Chuck had been referred to.

“Do you want me to take her?” Chuck offered as he and Sarah exited the car.

“No, I got her,” Sarah assured him, closing her door and opening the rear passenger door to retrieve Molly from her seat. Shouldering the diaper bag as well, she closed the door and joined Chuck at the front of the car.

As they walked toward the restaurant, Chuck wrapped his arm around Sarah’s waist and pulled her close to his side, pressing a kiss to her temple. “I have been looking forward to dinner with you all day.”

“We have too,” Sarah grinned up at him.

Chuck opened the door for Sarah to step through and waited for an elderly couple who were walking up behind them to enter as well, receiving a thankful smile from the older woman, “What a good boy,” He heard her say to her husband, “Not enough young people are that polite.”

“Thank you, Ma’am,” Chuck smiled warmly at her before following them in and joining Sarah once more. Waiting for the older couple to check in with the hostess, he approached the desk, “Carmichael table for two and a half,” He smiled at his girlfriend and her daughter lovingly before sending a warm smile to the hostess, causing her to blush.

“Of course, Mister Carmichael,” She nodded, checking her book for their table and grabbing menus, “If you will follow me.”

“That was not a seven,” Sarah teasingly chided him under her breath as they followed the hostess only to be met by a not-so-bashful smile and a shrug from her boyfriend.

The dining room had tables of varying sizes from large round to square two and four-top tables scattered around the dining room all with the same red and white checkered tablecloths and candle centerpieces. The hostess guided them to a quieter corner of the room where a four-top table had a high chair sitting in place of one of the chairs. She waited while Sarah placed Molly in the highchair and got her settled in, tucking her blanket around her to fill the extra space left by the small girl in the seat, and then again while Chuck pulled out Sarah’s chair for her before taking his own. They accepted the menu as the hostess informed them of the specials for the day and let them know their waiter would be with them shortly.

“This is a really nice place, I’m amazed I hadn’t known about it before,” Sarah mused.

“Well you were out of the country quite a bit,” Chuck reminded her, taking her hand in his and running his thumb over her knuckles, “Does anything look good to you?”

“A few things,” Sarah hummed, perusing her menu.

When the waiter approached them, Chuck ordered a bottle of Merlot for them and beef medallions while Sarah ordered the light chicken picatta. With a nod, the waiter took down their orders and left to inform the kitchen. While they waited, Sarah reached into the diaper bag and pulled out a safety spoon and a small Tupperware container of rice cereal and began to feed Molly. The waiter returned shortly with two glasses and a bottle of wine, pouring the wine table-side for them and waiting for Chuck to take a sip and declare it acceptable.

“I got the last of the boxes packed up today,” Sarah mentioned to Chuck as she used the side of the spoon in her hand to collect a bit of cereal that had dribbled out of Molly’s mouth. “So, if we can select the agents we are offering positions to tonight, we can fly out first thing Saturday morning and the movers will collect the boxes later that day. I’m thinking we can sleep at the apartment tomorrow night and then just throw the sheets into a box before we leave. No reason to stay in a hotel for just one night.”

“Okay, that sounds good to me,” Chuck nodded, sitting back as the waiter returned with their dinners and set them in front of them, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” The waiter nodded, bustling off to serve his other tables.

“I’ll take care of that tomorrow,” Sarah nodded, taking a bite of her chicken, “Oh my God that’s good.”

Chuck could only chuckle at her enthusiasm as she alternated taking bites of her food and feeding Molly. He cut into his dinner as well, as they talked about their day and their plans for the west coast operation that they would be heading. Sarah shared a story about Molly becoming a ‘little rolly poley’ as she’d managed to roll herself off of her blanket more than a few times that day. Chuck told her about something funny one of his interviewees had said. By the time Molly was dozing in Chuck’s lap, they were sharing a tiramisu and coffee for dessert.

“Thank you for tonight,” Sarah smiled over at him.

“You’re welcome,” Chuck nodded, “We’ve been so busy lately, I thought a night out as a family would be good.”

“You’re right,” Sarah agreed, “Oh, I forgot to tell you, the furniture store called today, said that Molly’s crib and dresser had come in. They wanted to know when they should make delivery. I told them that Sunday would be best, I hope that’s okay.”

“That’s perfect. It’ll give us time to get home on Saturday and not have to rush.” Chuck grinned, “Are you ready to let her have her own room?”

“I think it’s time,” Sarah shrugged, “She’s sleeping through the night now, and the monitor is enough to let us know if she wakes up. Besides, then we won’t have to be so quiet when we go to bed.” She gave him a coy smile.

“Ah so the truth comes out,” He chuckled, “You just want to kick her out so you can have your way with me.”

“Damn straight, Mister Bartowski,” Sarah grinned, “What do you say we give it a trial run tonight? I haven’t moved Molly’s crib back into the bedroom yet; we can put her down in the living room. We would have to leave the door open a bit to hear her, though.”

“I like the way you think, Miss Walker,” Chuck grinned, “Let’s just pay the check and head out?” He signaled the waiter and dropped $100 to cover their dinner with a generous tip and led his girls back out to the car to head home for the night.


	11. Chapter 11

The morning light peaked its way through the curtains of their room waking Chuck up. He felt a slight pressure on his chest as he did most mornings now and looked down to see a blonde head laying on his shoulder while another, smaller one, lay on his chest. The adults both had their arms wrapped around the small body that now nuzzled her nose against his shirt.

“Hey,” Sarah whispered, tilting her head up until she met his eyes.

“G’morning,” Chuck drawled, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah,” She smiled fondly at him, “You wore me out.”

“As if you didn’t return the favor,” He teased, “Are you up-up or do you plan to snooze a little more?”

“I’m up-up,” Sarah chuckled, “Why?”

“Well we got a little – distracted – when we got home and didn’t take time to review the interviews last night,” Chuck reminded her, “If we are going to get the names to the director and offers to the selected agents by this afternoon, we have to decide on the last three agents for the team.”

“Alright,” Sarah nodded, sitting up and stretching, “I’ll go make the coffee, can you put her back down in her pack’n’play? I think she’s decided to sleep a bit more.”

“Okay,” Chuck nodded, slowly sitting up, cradling the baby’s sleeping form to his chest as he swung his long legs over the side of the bed and rose to his feet. Molly snuffled a bit, but quickly settled as he swayed as he walked to settle her back into slumber. He lowered the girl in to the crib and laid her blanket over her before heading into the kitchen and setting up his laptop while Sarah doctored their coffees.

As Chuck plugged in the y-jack and attached their headphones, Sarah brought over their coffees and settled beside him, “You good to go?”

“Ready when you are,” He handed her headphones to her. She smiled and tucked an earbud into her right ear, “Okay the first one is Brody James.”

“Hit play,” Sarah nodded, pulling her notebook to her and making notes as the video played. The analyst reminded her a lot of Chuck, she could tell he would be a good addition to the team. Within a few hours they’d made their selections and sent them on to Graham for approval. As Chuck fed Molly, Sarah made the arrangements to pick up the boxes that were being shipped to California and for Chuck, Molly, and her travel back home.

~~~~~~~~~

The flight back to Burbank was uneventful, much to the relief of the adults. Molly didn’t have issues clearing her ears and the flights back all had ample space for their family and enough time to transfer planes without having to rush or wait too long. Despite getting home in the early evening, their bags were dumped unceremoniously in the living room as the family shuffled to the master bedroom to sleep off the day.

Chuck had arisen early that Sunday morning with energy to spare but didn’t want to disturb Sarah from her slumber knowing that rest was important to overcoming jet lag. He gently got out of the bed only to find that Molly was up, so he changed and fed her some cereal before getting her cleaned up and dressed. Pulling on a pair of running shorts, one of his old college sweatshirts and lacing up his running shoes, he strapped Molly into the jogging stroller that they’d purchased for this very purpose. He had just filled his water bottle and was placing it in the cupholder of the stroller when he heard Sarah’s approach.

“Good morning,” He kissed her softly.

“’Morning,” She mumbled, “What’re you doing up so early?”

“We woke up early so I thought I would get in a jog since it was a little too cool out to do so when we were in Virginia,” Chuck shrugged.

“Mind if I join you?” Sarah perked up a bit, “I can be ready to go in two minutes.”

“Sure,” Chuck smiled, “I’ll fill a water bottle for you.”

“Thanks,” Sarah nodded before turning on her heel and heading back to the bedroom. True to her word, she returned a short while later, dressed in capri yoga pants, a short-sleeved t-shirt, and a light jacket. She carried her sneakers with her to the dining room, her sock-covered feet making nary a sound, and took a seat at the table, she quickly pulled on and laced up her sneakers. After checking that her hair was up and out of her face to her satisfaction, she sent a warm smile to Chuck, “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” Chuck nodded, opening the front door, “After you.”

Sarah rolled her eyes and pushed Molly’s stroller out the front door, “You just want to look at my ass.”

“Can you blame me?” Chuck grinned boyishly at her, “It’s such a nice one, and you can’t deny that I haven’t seen you doing the same to me.”

“Guilty as charged,” Sarah chuckled as she waited for Chuck to lock the front door. “Thank God for CIA-mandated PT.” After a few stretches to warm up, they made their way out of the courtyard and toward a nearby park that held one of their favorite jogging paths.

An hour and a half and several miles later, they returned home and showered. Since Molly’s furniture was not due to be delivered until later that afternoon, they loaded up in Sarah’s SUV and made a quick run to the market for groceries. By the time they returned and had the food put away, the delivery service had arrived.

The delivery was quick and painless, it seems the furniture for the most part came pre-assembled, except for the crib, which was quickly put together and placed against the wall closest to the door. The dresser now sat where Chuck’s old bed had been, alongside it was the changing table, both of which Sarah was now stocking with clothing, diapers, and other baby-related supplies. The rocker sat just to the side of the window next to the crib.

After tipping the delivery drivers, Chuck set to work installing shelves and curtains in the room. Making sure that the baby monitor was correctly positioned, and the crib was now covered in freshly laundered sheets, he and Sarah looked around at Molly’s new room. Despite all the work that had gone into it, it was almost hard to believe that just a few weeks ago this was a nerdy guest room.

“Thank you,” Sarah whispered, wrapping her arms around Chuck’s waist and lifting up on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek.

“You’re welcome, Sarah,” Chuck grinned, pulling her to him, “I wanted to make sure that this felt like Molly’s space and not just a room we threw her stuff into.”

“You did a good job,” Sarah beamed up at him, “I can see Molly growing up here.”

“Hopefully by the time her ‘growing up’ starts in earnest it will be in a house,” Chuck shrugged, “But this will do for now.”

“How did we get so lucky to have you in our lives?” Sarah mused.

“Oh no, _I’m_ the lucky one,” Chuck protested, “I’m the one who gets to live with two of the prettiest girls on the planet, and as a bonus gets to claim them as major parts of my life.”

~~~~~~~~~

A few weeks had passed, the construction was half done and ahead of schedule. Chuck had heard back from Graham that Orion had been contacted and confirmed that the delivery of the office computers as well as Chuck’s personalized work computer would be ready for delivery by the time construction was set to be finished. Just the previous week, the specialized computer for Chuck’s home office had arrived and now was hooked up in his and Sarah’s home office. To his surprise, Orion had also included a slightly less modified computer for Sarah and similarly set up laptops for each of them. The only way to tell the two systems apart at a glance was that the LED display on the tower of Chuck’s computer and shell of his laptop were green while Sarah’s shone a bright blue. Of course, that meant another trip to Furniture’n’Stuff to get a desk for Sarah. While they were there, they saw a classic style his and hers desk set up on display. The face-to-face desks were now nestled in the alcove that made up their home office. Behind Chuck’s desk was a half bookshelf that sat beneath a window, and behind Sarah’s was a play mat and a swing for Molly to entertain her while they worked.

In addition to all this, they were finally, successfully, able to transition Molly into her own room. A week later, she was sleeping through the night without a fuss. After checking to make sure she was truly down for the night, Chuck and Sarah shared a romantic dinner in celebration of Molly’s newest milestone and their own as parents of an infant. Candles had been burned low before they blew them out in favor of settling on the couch with glasses of wine and a movie, Chuck had long ago figured out that Sarah’s guilty pleasure was romcoms and one such film was on the docket for the night.

Henry had just introduced Lucy to ‘Mary Kate and Ashley’ in his office at the aquarium when they heard a loud crash, Molly screaming, and a muffled voice. Chuck laid his finger over the scanner under the coffee table, which revealed a small armory from which he pulled out his tranq gun, he quickly loaded it as Sarah grabbed and slipped her knife sheath inside the waistband of her jeans. She gently fingered the hilt of the knife, centering the balance in her hand as she followed Chuck down the hall. The pair moved in unison down the hall, their feet silent on the hardwood floor as they approached the door to Molly’s room. The pair communicated silently their plan, Chuck nodded to her before Sarah quickly opened the door and turned on the light. She quickly made her way to the crib, picking up Molly in her left arm while preparing to throw the knife with her right. Chuck had followed close behind and had his gun trained on the source of the noise, a human-shaped form that had fallen to the floor beneath the window.

“Freeze!” He ordered, his voice low and commanding as he aimed his tranq gun at the person’s back. The dark-haired figure immediately froze in his crouched position, “Stand up, slowly, facing the window, place your hands behind your head, fingers laced, and turn around.”

As the figure turned, the distinctive beard covered, sheepish face, was finally seen, “Is that a gun?! What the hell, dude?” Morgan exclaimed, “What kind of greeting is that for your best friend?”

“What are you doing in our daughter’s room?” Sarah demanded, slipping the knife back into its sheath at the small of her back and shifting Molly to rest against her shoulder as she rocked back and forth on her bare feet, one hand gently running over and through the little girl’s blonde curls in an attempt to soothe and quiet her startled sobs.

“Your daughter?” Morgan turned back to Chuck, “Chuck, is there something you’re not telling me? And where the hell did you get a gun?”

With a sigh, Chuck disengaged the gun and slipped it into the waist band of his jeans behind his back, “Sarah and Molly live here with me now.” He explained before noticing the broken window panel behind his friend and the shattered glass on the floor, “But what were you thinking? You find the window locked so you forced your way in? Why didn’t you just come to the door?”

“You never lock the Morgan door,” The shorter man protested, “I thought the window was just stuck or something. Mom and Big Mike are at it again and I needed a place to crash for the night. I was also going to ask you if I could move in, but I guess that’s out of the question now.”

“You think?” Sarah scoffed, turning on her heel and exiting the room before she was tempted to use her knives to add a few more holes to the man’s body.

“Morgan,” Chuck sighed, “You need to go home now. You owe me for fixing the window. I’ll send you the bill.”

“Whatever,” Morgan huffed, turning toward the window once more.

“_Front_ door, Morgan,” Chuck nearly growled before sighing. “Look Buddy, you’re my friend and I love you like a brother, but you can’t do this anymore. You really can’t go breaking into little girls’ rooms in the middle of the night. First of all, it’s more than a little creepy; secondly, I can’t promise to always be fast enough to save you from receiving a few extra holes in your body thanks to Sarah’s mad knife throwing skills. Next time you want to come over and hang, get away from your mom’s place, whatever; please call us first. You are welcome in our home, but you have to start going about your visits the right way.”

“You should have told me,” Morgan protested as he exited the room, “We’re heterosexual life partners, you should have talked to me about it before getting rid of the Morgan room and locked the Morgan door.”

Chuck could barely contain his irritation, he rounded on his life-long friend, “Morgan, at some point, you need to realize that my world cannot always revolve around you. We have been friends for two decades, but you had to know that at some point I would grow up, have a family. You will always be my little buddy, but maybe, just maybe, it’s time we both grew up, learned how to function without being constantly around each other.”

Morgan stared up a him, wide-eyed, “Chuck, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that maybe, for now,” Chuck sighed hating that it had gotten to this point. He knew he should have established boundaries a long time ago, but he’d never had the heart to do it. “You need to learn to go it alone for a while. This co-dependence thing you have with me is reaching unhealthy levels, and frankly, I think some space between us would do us both some good.”

“How long?” Morgan looked close to tears.

“I’m not saying forever,” Chuck amended, “But at least a month or so, until this compulsive need to be around me 24/7 fades. I know you can do it, you were able to do it when I was at Stanford.”

“Yeah but you were home every holiday and at least one weekend a month,” Morgan pointed out.

“You’re really not helping your case, Buddy,” Chuck pointed out, “Tell you what, give it until the New Year’s Eve Party, and we’ll see where we stand then. You gave Molly, Sarah, and me quite a scare; you can understand why, can’t you?”

“She’s Sarah’s kid, and you’re in love with Sarah…” Morgan started.

“Morgan, you’re partly right,” Chuck opened the front door, “Yes, she’s Sarah’s kid, but I love her as if she were my own. I would die for Molly, I would _kill_ for her.”

“Yeah, I saw the gun,” Morgan blanched, “You never said where you got it.”

“Morgan, I own a private security firm,” Chuck shook his head, “Didn’t it ever occur to you that I might know and have the tools to protect myself and, by extension, my family?”

“I guess I never thought of it,” Morgan shrugged, “So New Year’s Eve?”

“New Year’s Eve,” Chuck nodded, “I would seriously use this time to reflect on who you are and what your goals are for your life. I mean, is your honest life’s goal to follow in Big Mike’s footsteps, working your way up to middle management at the Buy More? If it is, more power to you, but if it isn’t, maybe you should start towards making your dream job a reality.”

“Okay,” Morgan nodded, “I love you, man.”

“I love you too, Buddy,” Chuck gave his friend a small smile, “I’ll see you in a couple months.”

“Yeah,” Morgan nodded slowly before turning and leaving the apartment.

Chuck closed the door and laid his head against the wood with a sigh, trying to collect himself. When he turned around, he saw Sarah, Molly in her arms, a sad but supportive look on her face from where she stood in the middle of the living room. Chuck crossed the room in a few steps and wrapped her up in his arms, careful to not squish Molly between them.

“I am so, so, sorry, Baby,” He gasped into her ear, “I never… I want you both to feel safe here, comfortable with Molly being in her own room. It never occurred to me. I am so incredibly sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Sarah assured him, holding him tightly with the arm that wasn’t holding Molly, “And I do feel safe here. It’s not your fault that Morgan… I know that was hard for you.”

Chuck nodded, “He tends to struggle with common sense at times, but I promise, he’s harmless.”

“I know,” Sarah nodded, “I really hope you two can find a way to move forward. I don’t want him to feel like he’s not welcome just because Molly and I are living here now.”

“Yeah, well, Ellie has been after me for years to establish boundaries with him. It was way past time,” Chuck sighed, running his hand up and down her spine, “I just kept putting it off. It felt a little like a betrayal after he was there for me when my mom left and then later when my dad disappeared…”

“I can understand that,” Sarah acquiesced, “But like you said, you’ve grown up, you need to figure out how your friendship is to evolve now that you’re moving on with your life. Morgan understands that, I think, at least on some level. It’s just taking longer for him to learn to be an adult than it did for you.

“You’re right,” Chuck nodded, “I really hope he takes my advice and uses this time to work on himself. I think before New Year’s Eve you and I should come up with some basic guidelines on how and when Morgan can spend time with me and with us.”

“I agree, but maybe not tonight,” Sarah yawned, “I’m tired right now, do you mind calling it a night?”

“I’ll get the pack’n’play set up in our room until we can get that window fixed,” Chuck walked over to the storage closet where he’d stashed the temporary crib, “It’s too cold to sleep with one of the windows broken. I don’t anticipate any black-site ninjas coming by and taking advantage of the breech in our home’s defenses, but I’m not willing to bet Molly’s life on it. Besides, after the night we’ve had, I’d much rather have her close tonight.”

Sarah simply looked up at him with adoring eyes, “How did I get so lucky to have met you?”

“It wasn’t luck,” Chuck shook his head as they headed down the hall and he began to set up the crib near the foot of their bed, “Simply us choosing to take advantage of an opportunity that was presented to us.”

“Is that right?” Sarah teased as she laid Molly in the crib and settled the blanket over her. Once she was sure Molly wasn’t going to awaken, she quietly moved to her dresser, pulling out one of Chuck’s t-shirts that she’d claimed for herself before quickly divesting herself of everything but her panties. Pulling on Chuck’s t-shirt, she tossed her discarded clothing into the hamper and climbed into bed. Chuck had likewise stripped down to just his boxers and was waiting for her to settle against his chest before wrapping his arms around her and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

They laid, snuggled together, for a while before Sarah spoke once more, “Speaking of taking advantage of opportunities,” She started, then chuckled at the hopeful look on Chuck’s face, “No, not that, at least not yet. Since we don’t have anything big coming down the pipeline just yet, I thought we could try to look into some cybercrime on our own, before the office officially opens.”

“How do you mean?” Chuck looked down at her, his left hand tracing small patterns against her spine while his right hand intertwined with hers.

“I’m sure you get some of the same standard briefings as I do,” Sarah shrugged, “Including the FBI’s top 10 for cybercrimes; there’s a name that keeps popping up, but his behavior doesn’t fit the usual pattern. He first caught the alphabet agencies’ notice about 10 or 15 years ago and still pops up from time to time. He never has stolen anything so far as I can tell; more of a nuisance than anything else, like he’s curious or trying to prove he can hack the most elite of the intelligence agencies, both in the private and public sector. He has managed to puzzle the cybercrimes teams since he first appeared on the dark web, but his code is constantly changing, evolving. The only thing anyone knows is his name, Piranha,” Chuck stiffened slightly at the name, “Because the smug SOB always signs his work.”

“Not always,” Chuck murmured, “Just when he wants someone to know he’s been there.”

“What do you mean?” She looked up at him, “What do you know that I don’t?”

“Oh boy,” Chuck slipped his right hand from hers and ran it through his hair, “Just promise you won’t get mad.”

“Why would I get mad?” She gave him a quizzical look.

“I know who Piranha is,” Chuck sighed. When Sarah didn’t speak, he took it as his cue to continue, “_I_ am Piranha.”

“You?” Sarah sat up, looking at her boyfriend incredulously, “How? Why?” She stammered.

“Maybe we should take this out to the living room,” He suggested easing himself off the bed, grabbing his robe and handing Sarah’s to her before they both quietly creeped from the bedroom, so their conversation wouldn’t wake the baby.

“Graham knows, the FBI knows,” Chuck shrugged, sitting on the couch and turning to Sarah. He was hoping that the discussion wouldn’t wind up with him sleeping on the couch where they were now both perched, “I came clean when I was recruited. Although I was positive I had covered my tracks, I didn’t want it showing up on my background check and ruining my chances with the agency.”

Sarah almost couldn’t believe what she was hearing. True, the CIA knew about her con artist roots, it was how she’d come to their attention as a high school student, but she hadn’t heard of any others with criminal backgrounds being offered positions with the agency. She figured it was best to let him explain.

“It started back in high school as a way to challenge my skills, slowly moving up to more and more secure systems. If I didn’t want the target to know I was there, I would shred any evidence of my presence in the system which is how I got the name. As I got better, I started patching holes in the security of the servers, signing my work every time. I got cocky and would occasionally take challenges from other hackers, I also would advertise when and what system I would be hacking into so that others could watch.” Chuck blushed, “I was kinda full of myself, and didn’t realize, or more than likely didn’t care that by doing that, I was sending up red flags left and right, practically begging someone to catch me.

“Then I got recruited to the CIA,” Chuck shrugged, “While he didn’t know Piranha was me, he was aware of how tech savvy I was, thanks to Bryce, who did know about my recreational activities under the guise of Piranha but had never disclosed it to anyone. Graham said it wasn’t too far of a leap to believe I was who I said I was.

“You’re right, I’ve never done anything illegal, per se,” He capitulated, “You know, aside from hacking secure governmental agency servers, which, along with my bragging on the dark web, is why the FBI knew of me. For me it was more of a challenge to prove that I could do it. I have never actually stolen anything, ever, and if I ever coerced a system where there was a financial cost involved, I always routed money to cover whatever it was.”

“The upgrade in Paris,” Sarah murmured, “That was you. You paid to upgrade us. Did you know who I was?”

“No, I didn’t have a clue,” Chuck shook his head, “I saw you struggling with Molly and simply wanted to help, that was all. I knew that there was a Business class seat available, so I hacked the airline’s system and quickly reviewed the passenger list. There was only one woman traveling alone with an infant listed on the manifest, I made a guess that it was you. I then rearranged the seat assignments to put you in the window seat next to me so that I could offer to help with Molly. I truly had no idea who, or what you were until you showed up on my doorstep a couple weeks later.”

“No, alternate reason but wanting to help?” Sarah challenged him.

“Well, I won’t deny that your beauty captivated me, and I wanted to have an excuse to meet you.” He looked sheepish.

“I don’t know if I should feel threatened that you were essentially stalking me,” Sarah sighed, “Or charmed at your motives.”

“I know, I crossed a line,” He blushed, “I really hope you find it charming, but if you don’t, I apologize. I swear I didn’t have sinister intentions toward you or Molly. I fell in love with you both on that plane ride, and yes, I know how that sounds, but it’s the God’s-honest truth. I never thought I’d ever see you again, even after you mentioned that you would be in LA for a little bit. LA county is so big, I had no hope I would be so lucky that we would find each other again, not even in my wildest of dreams.”

“Okay, our contrived meeting aside,” Sarah tabled the personal implications of their meeting, “If Graham and the FBI know who you are, why are you still on the 10 most wanted list of cyber criminals?”

“I still hack under the guise of Piranha for missions on occasion,” Chuck shrugged, “Leaving me on the list just lends credibility, if I were ever to have to go undercover as a hacker. I would assume that the same could be said if you had to go undercover to catch a con.”

“I can understand that,” Sarah nodded, “But why didn’t you tell me when we met again?”

“To be honest, I meant to,” Chuck sighed, “Sarah, believe me, I’ve been trying for months to find a way to tell you, but every time I tried, something came up. A mission, Ellie, and a multitude of other reasons, some of which I’m not entirely sure weren’t invented by me to avoid sounding like some creepy stalker dude. I am so, so sorry.”

“I forgive you,” Sarah sighed, “I mean, it would be a little hypocritical for me to get upset that you were – are – some elite hacker when I’m the con artist daughter of a currently incarcerated con man. However, I think I need some space to get my head and heart around this. I feel… I don’t know… hurt? Violated? Betrayed? I love you, and I trust you, but I think I need to be alone tonight. I need some space to clear my head.”

“I understand,” Chuck nodded, “You can have the bed, I’ll sleep out here.”

“Babe, no,” Sarah reached out, touching his hand as she shook her head, “You’ll never sleep on this thing, you’re too big for it. You can have the bed, I’ll sleep out here.”

“Sarah,” Chuck gave her a soft smile, “Please, one of us needs to have a chance at a good night’s rest. Take the bed, I’ll be out here, it’s more than I deserve.”

“I don’t know how restful the night will be,” She sighed, “I’ve got a lot going on in my head, not to mention that I’ve gotten used to sleeping with you.”

“I know how you feel,” Chuck hung his head, “I can’t apologize enough for everything.”

“I know, Babe,” Sarah assured him before silently getting to her feet, kissing him, and heading down the hall.

Chuck heard the faint click of the lock engaging on the door and let out a weary sigh. It wasn’t as bad as he thought it was going to be, and he understood Sarah’s reaction; was thankful it hadn’t cost him more than just a night or two on the couch. He knew he wouldn’t be getting much sleep that night, so he racked his brain for something to keep him occupied while he lived out the consequences of his actions – and inactions. Realizing that they hadn’t returned to Molly’s room after tossing Morgan out, he pulled on a pair of shoes, grabbed a broom and a dustpan, thankful that the apartment had hardwood floors, and set about cleaning up the shards of broken glass.

Once the glass was disposed of, he grabbed a roll of duct tape, an exacto knife, and one of the boxes left over from the move. He quickly cut the box to size to patch the broken window until morning when he intended to contact a contractor to replace the window with impact resistant glass so no one else would be able to break in and potentially harm their little girl; enough harm had been done that night. With the window patched, and re-secured as much as possible for the night, he pulled a pillow and a blanket from the hall closet and made the couch up to be the literal and metaphorical bed he was to sleep in. He knew he deserved worse than a lumpy couch for a night or so until he was welcome back in his own bed. With a sigh, he closed his eyes hoping to get at least a little sleep.

Sarah wasn’t having any luck settling into a restful sleep, either. She’d heard Chuck cleaning up the mess in Molly’s room followed soon after by the distinct sound of the hall closet opening and closing as Chuck retrieved the pillow and blanket he would need for the night. She had almost given in and asked him to come back to bed, but bit her tongue knowing that her request for solitude was needed for her to nurse her wounds. She believed him when he said that he wasn’t intentionally trying to hurt her, but it didn’t make the pain hurt less. She rolled over, pulling his pillow to her chest and tried once more to get some sleep before the dawn of the next day.


	12. Chapter 12

The first thing Ellie noticed as she walked into the courtyard after her overnight shift was the fact that the window to her brother’s old room had been taped up. Blanching at the thought that her brother’s home had been broken into, she rushed to his door. After knocking and not hearing movement or a response, she fished her keys from her purse and unlocked the door. She was surprised to see her brother, feet propped up on the armrest, asleep on the couch.

“Chuck?” She asked, sitting on the coffee table and shaking her brother.

“Srah, i’s too erly,” He groaned and tried to turn over, forgetting he was on the couch, and fell face first onto the floor at his sisters’ feet. He shook his head to clear it from the abrupt fall and looked up blearily at his sister, “Ellie?”

“Good morning, Chuck,” His sister responded, arms crossed, “Why are you on the couch when you have a perfectly good bed down the hall? And don’t tell me you passed out, the pillow and blanket give away that this was a deliberate decision.”

“Um,” Chuck searched his brain.

“Ellie?” Sarah looked up startled, pulling her robe tighter around herself as she clutched a sleepy Molly to her. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question.” Ellie raised an eyebrow at her brother’s girlfriend before turning back to her brother who had since climbed to his feet and tied his robe around himself to cover the fact that he had been sleeping in only his boxers. She watched him as he shuffled toward the kitchen, “What happened to the window?”

“Morgan happened,” Chuck grumbled, still half asleep and yawning as he began making coffee. “Idiot couldn’t open the window, so he thought it was a good idea to break into Molly’s room.”

“’Molly’s room?’” Ellie repeated, leaning against the breakfast bar that looked into the kitchen where Chuck now stood, Sarah leaned against him as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head and Molly’s. “Why do I feel like I’m missing something? Since when is there a ‘Molly’s room’ in your apartment?”

“Since she and Sarah moved in a month and a half ago,” Chuck shrugged, hoping his sister wouldn’t freak out, he’d had enough of upset women in the past 24 hours.

Ellie just looked at her brother dumbfounded, “Don’t you think that’s a little fast?”

“No,” Chuck stated simply, letting go of Sarah long enough to pull down three mugs, fill and doctor them to each adult’s preferences, “Why don’t you ladies go sit down at the table, I’ll be out in a minute.” As the women slowly made their way to the kitchen table, Chuck quickly prepped Molly’s cereal. As it warmed, he carried the cups of coffee to the table and then ran back to the bedroom to pull on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. As soon as the cereal was warm, he joined the women in the dining room, stirring the cereal as he walked to help it cool down.

Sarah had already put Molly in her high chair by the time Chuck had joined them, and the four of them sat quietly for a few moments Sarah and Ellie sipping their coffee while Chuck began to feed the baby. She knew she should let Chuck handle his sister while she fed her daughter, but it seemed like Chuck needed the distraction. She chose, instead, to stay quiet and sip her coffee unless and until she was asked a direct question.

“Okay,” Ellie sighed into her coffee mug, “From the top, what is going on here?”

“Everything?” Chuck asked, feeding Molly another spoonful of cereal.

“Yes, Chuck, everything,” She gave him a look that clearly indicated that she was in no mood to be jerked around.

“Okay,” Chuck took a deep breath, “Sarah needed a place to stay, so I offered her the spare room until she could get on her feet. Clearly it wasn’t long before we decided that we might as well officially move in together since we were already moving in that direction. She moved into my room and we turned the guest room into Molly’s room. I know it seems really fast, but it felt right, Elle.”

Ellie didn’t say anything, just nodded non-committedly and waited for her brother to continue.

“Anyway, last night we were watching a movie after putting Molly down. We were about half-way through the movie when we heard the sound of glass breaking down the hall.” Chuck shrugged, “Apparently Morgan had decided to come for a visit and wanted to crash here last night. Between his work schedule, my work schedule, getting the new office set up, not to mention our business trip last month, he hadn’t been over in a while and didn’t know about the changes made to the room. He tried to open the ‘Morgan Door’ and found it locked. Instead of coming to the front door like a normal person, he just assumed that the window was stuck and tried to force it open, breaking the glass in the process, which, of course, woke Molly and got our attention.”

“Is Molly okay?” Ellie looked over at the baby with concern, giving the infant a once-over for any injuries.

“She’s fine,” Sarah spoke up, “She was more startled than anything.”

“I kicked Morgan out, told him that he needed to grow up,” Chuck blushed sheepishly, “I may have been a little harsh with him.”

“You weren’t,” Sarah assured him, “You were being protective. Morgan was in the wrong, Babe.”

“Anyway, I explained that we needed to set up some boundaries,” Chuck continued.

“About time,” Ellie chimed in as Sarah quietly nodded her head in agreement.

“He got mad that I didn’t discuss Sarah and Molly moving in with him before inviting them,” Chuck sighed, “Some nonsense about being ‘heterosexual life partners.’ I don’t know where he gets this stuff, anyway, I told him that my life can’t and won’t revolve around him anymore. I told him that I needed some space from him, that I didn’t want to see or hear from him until the New Year’s Eve Party and suggested he take this time to reevaluate his life and what he wants for himself.”

“Oh Chuck,” Ellie gave her little brother as sympathetic look, “I know that couldn’t have been easy for you. Are you guys going to be okay?”

“I hope so Elle,” Chuck gave her a wan smile before turning back to Molly and offering her the last few bites of her breakfast, “I mean we’ve been friends forever, I know it had to happen eventually, I just feel bad I hadn’t handled it better, you know?”

“I know,” She nodded, “But I meant are you and Sarah okay? I mean I came in to you sleeping on the couch.”

Chuck just looked at Sarah, they shared a soft smile before addressing his sister, “We’re going to be okay. Last night just rattled us, brought up some stuff that should have been dealt with a while ago, but we’re okay now, don’t worry.”

“Alright,” Ellie eyed him skeptically, “Are you sure that all your issues were dealt with?”

“Elle,” Chuck turned to his sister, “There is nothing for you to worry about. Sarah and I are fine, or we will be once we get a chance to talk through everything. Is there anything else?”

“Can I see Molly’s room?” Ellie requested hopefully.

He chuckled and rolled his eyes, “Sure,” He gave Sarah a soft kiss and then kissed Molly’s head, “I’ll be right back, I’ll show her the room and send her home and then we can finish our talk from last night.”

“Okay,” Sarah smiled up at him and went about pulling Molly from her highchair and taking her into the bathroom to wash her up as Chuck led his sister down the hall.

“Oh my,” Ellie looked in wide-eyed amazement at how different the room looked. Instead of a nerd’s paradise with movie and game posters, Comicon memorabilia, and gaming and computer systems, she found a very feminine space. She slowly made her way around the room, taking in the pastel colored walls and trim which matched the patterned curtains, white-washed crib and baby furniture in the room. “You did all this?”

“Yeah,” Chuck shrugged humbly from where he stood, leaned against the door frame to the room, “She needed a space that was totally her own. It’s not like I did much, a little paint on the walls, added some new furniture and curtains, and moved some of my stuff into the living room and storage.”

“You sell yourself short, little brother,” Ellie smiled warmly at him, “They’ve changed you, in a good way. I’m sorry I didn’t see it before, you’ve grown up, you have a family. I never noticed how much you looked like Dad until now.” She continued to look around, “You’re aces, Charles, aces.”

“Wow, a Dad quote,” Chuck grinned.

“Well it’s the truth,” Ellie assured him, “I can see you love them, I bet you even consider Molly as your daughter, don’t you? That was part of the reason you think you ‘overreacted’ with Morgan last night. You weren’t a friend in that moment, you were a father protecting his child.”

Chuck didn’t say anything, but the blush on his cheeks and the slight shrug of his shoulders said it all, “Dad would be proud of you, Chuck,” Ellie assured him, “Mom too. I know our childhood was not normal, but I’m glad that we have both found a little bit of normal now as adults.”

“I don’t think I would go so far as to say my life is normal,” Chuck protested.

“I would, you have a girlfriend whom you love and who loves you, she has a daughter that you both adore,” Ellie pointed out, “I bet you have already thought out what your future would look like. The details may be a little foggy, but you have an idea of where you see this going. A house in the suburbs, a dog, Sarah, Molly, maybe another little one or two when the time comes?”

Chuck just shrugged, but his sister could tell by his expression that the idea appealed to him, perhaps many times over in his short courtship. Although they hadn’t gotten off on the right foot, Ellie was already starting to come around with Sarah and could see them eventually becoming friends, if not at least friendly. She could see their children playing together while she and Sarah sat back with a glass of wine and Chuck and Devon manned the grill. The idea that they had overcome losing both their parents, but both still managed to find some semblance of normal as adults made her happy.

“Well, I should probably be going before Devon wonders what happened to me,” Ellie gave her brother a gentle hug before exiting the room, Chuck following her back to the living room.

“Yeah, I need to call someone to fix the window,” Chuck nodded, “I’ll see you later, Elle.”

“See you,” She smiled at her brother before turning to where Sarah stood in the kitchen, cleaning the small amount of dishes from their impromptu visit, “Sarah, I’m glad you’re here.”

“Thanks, Ellie,” Sarah gave her a small, relieved, smile as she dried her hands, “I’m glad we’re here too.”

With one more hug for her brother, Ellie gave a small nod and exited the apartment.

“Well that’s one way to start the day,” Chuck sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

“No kidding,” Sarah agreed, walking into the living room where Molly was sitting, chewing on the ear of her stuffed bunny, “I already put away the pillow and blanket, you won’t be needing it anymore.”

“Oh really?” Chuck pulled her into his arms and planted a soft kiss on her lips, “And why, pray tell, is that?”

“Chuck?” Sarah looked up at him earnestly, “Can we please just agree that no matter what, no matter how upset we might get at each other, that we will never sleep apart when we are both home?”

“I think I can agree to that,” He smiled, “So all’s forgiven?”

“It was last night,” Sarah promised, “I just needed some time to come to terms with what you told me, and I know there have to be people who met in worse ways than a wonderful man taking pity on a single mom and using his extraordinary skills to help her out. I can’t be mad at you for what you did, it took all of 30 seconds for me to realize that it made me love you more, it was just my pride that kept me from asking you to come to bed.”

“We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” He chuckled. “So, aside from getting that stupid window fixed, is there anything else you want to do today?”

Sarah just gave him a sly smile, “I can think of a few things, but only if you can get the window fixed before Molly goes down for her nap.”

“I think I see where you are going with this, Agent Walker,” Chuck grinned, “And I like it!”

Chuck pressed a lingering kiss to his girlfriend’s lips before locating his phone and calling a government contractor to have the window replaced. Since it was Sunday, the contractor had nothing else going on. By the time Molly was ready to go down for her nap, so were her parents.

~~~~~~~~~

“Good afternoon, Agents Walker and Carmichael,” Director Graham greeted them from the screen in their living room a few days later.

“Good afternoon Director,” They chorused

“Thank you for taking time out of your day to speak with me,” The director acknowledged, “I understand that the renovations are well on their way?”

“Yes, sir,” Chuck nodded, “We are hoping to be up and running within the month. The agents we recruited to the new team have been notified to start preparing to come out this way within a few weeks to decide upon which of the company-approved apartments they wish to use. Agent Forest has been very helpful in locating some nearby complexes that meet the requisite security for CIA housing; we look forward to having the team here and finally working together.”

“On that note, there will be some changes to the team.” Graham informed them.

“Changes, sir?” Sarah frowned, “Chuck and I thoroughly vetted the team we selected for skill and compatibility. I don’t understand…”

“Agent Walker, we are not reversing any of your selections,” Graham assured them, “We are simply adding one more member to the team; one whom, along with the two of you, will be briefed on the Intersect Project. As the Intersect was always a joint project between the CIA and NSA, the NSA is wanting to be represented in the team.”

“Okay, then send over a list of applicants and we will find the best match,” Chuck nodded.

“Not so fast, Agent Carmichael,” The display changed to a split screen with Director Graham to the right and an older, red-headed, woman who wore the stars of a brigadier general, to the left, “We have already decided who the NSA representative will be.”

“Agents Sarah Walker and Charles Carmichael allow me to introduce General Beckman, Director of the NSA,” Graham introduced them, neither agent had missed the slight eye roll from their director when the general interrupted their call.

“Pleased to meet you, General,” Chuck nodded, “Who have you selected?”

“Major John Casey will be joining you at the end of next week,” General Beckman informed them.

“Not to sound impertinent, General,” Chuck raised an eye brow, “But, to my knowledge, Major Casey has no experience with cybercrime. I’m not sure if he would be a good fit to our team.”

“Create a place for him to fit then,” The general commanded them, the tone of her voice making it clear she would not be challenged in this. “He will also be going with you when the Intersect is in the field.”

“General, he has a name,” Sarah frowned, “Agent Carmichael is a person first and foremost, not just a piece of equipment.”

The General’s dower expression fell even further, if that were possible at Sarah’s correction, before pressing on, “He will serve as protection while _Agent Carmichael_ is in the field.”

“Agent Carmichael is a fully trained agent,” Sarah reminded the executive officer, “He’s led teams into war zones and come out with nary a casualty. I think it would be fair to say that he is more than capable of protecting himself in the field.”

“Agent Walker, what about my previous statement indicated that this was a request?” The general raised an eyebrow in challenge, “This is an order and will be treated as such so long as the NSA is involved in this project.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” The agents nodded, chastised.

“General, with no cybercrimes background, how is Major Casey meant to contribute to Carmichael CyberSecurity when we are not on an op?” Chuck questioned, “Won’t it seem a little odd to have a luddite working at a cyber security firm?”

“It’s my understanding you are a fairly intelligent man, even before receiving the Intersect download,” The General gave him a skeptical look, “I suggest you use that to figure out how to best utilize the Major upon his arrival.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Chuck nodded, “I will create a place for him on the team. However, I do request that if you wish to add more NSA personnel to the team, that you allow us to evaluate the candidates to find a good fit in the future.”

“Don’t press your luck, Agent Carmichael,” The General warned.

“Understood,” Chuck nodded as they heard Molly’s cry indicating that she had awoken from her nap.

“Excuse me,” Sarah addressed Graham and Beckman before giving Chuck an apologetic look. She quickly walked down the hall before either of their superiors could respond to her.

“Where is Agent Walker going?” Demanded the general as Graham rolled his eyes.

“Sorry,” Sarah apologized, returning with Molly’s head snuggling against her shoulder to stand beside Chuck, “I thought she would sleep longer than that.”

The general looked absolutely flabbergasted at the sight of the infant. “Agent Walker, this is highly unprofessional!”

“General, this meeting was called at the last minute,” Chuck reminded her, “Since we both work from home until the office is fully operational, we don’t generally put Molly in childcare, unless we are going somewhere she cannot.”

“’Molly?’” The general echoed.

“My daughter’s name, General,” Sarah responded, “Now, can we get back to the matter of Major Casey. We understand we have no choice in the matter, and as Agent Carmichael stated, we will create a place for him to explain his presence in the office when we aren’t in the field.”

“Very well,” The general nodded, “We will be sending you Major Casey’s itinerary as soon as it is put together so that you are prepared for his arrival. Agent Walker, it is highly unprofessional for a child to be present at an operational briefing, I would strongly suggest finding a more reliable form of childcare in the future.”

“I’ll take your suggestion under advisement,” Sarah responded curtly, “Is there anything else?”

“No,” General Beckman frowned, “That is all.” With that she cut her feed, leaving Graham as the only image on the screen.

“I know that having Major Casey joining the team is not the most optimal placement in your opinions, but he is who the NSA has decided to send,” Graham spoke, “Make the best of it, I have every confidence that you will be able to find a way to integrate his skill set into that of your teams’. On a side note, Walker, I understand that you are doing your best to embrace your recent foray into motherhood, but the general is right, it is inappropriate for your daughter to be present during these briefings.”

“Director, sometimes it cannot be avoided,” Chuck spoke up, “As I mentioned to the General, this conference was called on short notice and Molly should have slept through it, but sometimes things don’t go according to plan.”

“I don’t believe I was talking to you, Carmichael,” Langston responded sharply, “This is none of your concern.”

“With all due respect, sir,” Chuck did not back down, “Sarah, I mean Agent Walker, is my partner, therefore anything that impacts her life, including Molly, does concern me.”

“You are correct, Carmichael,” The director agreed, “You are her partner, not her actual boyfriend, therefore childcare arrangements are none of your concern.”

“Director…” Sarah began.

“No, I don’t want to hear it,” Graham shut her down, “I understand that Carmichael acting like he cares for your child is good for your cover as a couple, but you need to create a clear line between your cover and your real life before I create one, am I understood?”

“Yes, sir,” They both nodded before the director cut the feed.

“Well that could have gone better,” Chuck sighed, running his hand through his curls.

“Yeah, we need to be more careful,” Sarah nodded, “I know that they are building this team around us, but that doesn’t mean that Graham won’t transfer one or both of us if he feels it necessary. I mean I know that the CIA tends to turn a blind eye to agents hooking up on an assignment, but relationships are kind of a grey area. We probably shouldn’t force or flaunt the issue with them unless we absolutely need to.”

“I agree,” Chuck nodded, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “Hopefully, this won’t be something we’ll have to worry about much longer. Once the office is up and running, Molly will be with Anne while we are working.”

“True, but until then, if there is a last-minute conference call, it might be a good idea to enlist Ellie or Awesome to babysit.” Sarah suggested sitting on the couch and cuddling Molly.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Chuck asked, taking a seat beside her, “I mean, won’t that stir up questions about the nature of what we do?”

“I don’t think so,” Sarah shook her head, “They know that you have always worked from home and our new office is being renovated, causing me to work from home as well. If we tell them we have a call with prospective clients that came up last-minute, it may be enough of an explanation to be accepted.”

“Maybe,” Chuck shrugged, “I’ll talk to Ellie about it, see if she’d be okay with having Molly over from time to time while we work, at least until we can have her with Anne during the day.”

“Okay,” Sarah nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder, “Are you looking forward to this weekend?”

“Yeah,” Chuck smiled softly, “I’m excited for them, this is a big step. We still need to go get their gift, though.”

“What were you thinking?” Sarah looked up at him.

“They registered for a few nice knife sets,” Chuck suggested, “I thought that might be a good idea, but you know more about knives than I do.”

“Throwing knives, not kitchen knives,” Sarah rolled her eyes good naturedly, “So what you’re saying is that you want me to go with you to pick out the gift so that we can truly say it is from us?”

“Pretty much,” Chuck grinned down at her, “You up for embracing domesticity?”

“Sure,” Sarah chuckled, “Let me get little miss changed and we can go.”

“Sounds good,” Chuck nodded, “I’ll be right here once you’re ready to go.”

Sarah simply smiled at him and retreated down the hall to get Molly ready for their shopping trip. Within minutes, she returned, grabbed her purse and the diaper bag and indicated that she was ready to go. Chuck wasted no time, getting Molly secured in her car seat and taking the wheel as they headed toward the mall.

Several hours later, the family had returned home. Chuck couldn’t help but feel bemused at how the quick trip to the mall to find a knife set turned into a full-blown shopping trip, including purchasing a new, tailored, suit, tie, and dress shirt for himself along with new dresses for both Sarah and Molly all for their friends’ wedding. At least Sarah made sure that they took time to stop at the Sbarro in the food court to grab a couple slices for dinner before returning to collect his suit and concluding their shopping trip. Sarah now carried the sleeping Molly into the apartment as Chuck followed, two garment bags holding his suit and her dress along with bags holding his shirt, tie, Molly’s dress, new shoes for all of them, and, of course, the knife set they’d originally gone for balanced in his arms.

He had chuckled to himself when Sarah diverted into the men’s apparel section of her favorite department store. He should have known that bringing her would result in at least a perusal of the men’s, women’s, and children’s sections of the stores they visited. Not that he minded, especially when Sarah decided to do a small fashion show for him, trying on and showing him each of the dresses she was considering purchasing to wear to their friends’ wedding while he sat with Molly in his lap, grinning as she flounced, spun, and sashayed in in front of him. The only thing that would have been better is if she’d snuck off to her favorite lingerie store to perform a similar show for him later tonight. Unfortunately, Molly began to get fussy, so they’d cut their trip short, leaving as soon as their dinner was eaten and his suit’s minor alterations were done, meaning the tell-tale pink striped bags were not included in the bags he now carried.

Sarah whispered instructions to take the bags into their room while she put Molly down for the night. Chuck nodded, doing as he was told, hanging up their purchases, garment bags and all in the closet before pulling the new shirt, tie, shoes, and Molly’s dress from their bags and laying them on the bed next to the knife set they’d purchased.

“Not bad for a few hours of shopping,” Sarah spoke quietly, causing Chuck to jump slightly at the break in the silence, “I’ll get the knives wrapped up tomorrow and take our new clothes to the cleaners so that they are ready by this weekend.”

“I should have known you were wanting to get more than just Lou and Scott’s gift at the mall,” Chuck smiled softly at his girlfriend, who was in the process of moving the knives along with the clothes to sit atop her dresser before starting the process of removing her necklace and earrings, placing them in her jewelry box as she did so, “I am a little disappointed you weren’t able to get to your favorite store.”

“You mean your favorite store,” Sarah corrected looking at him by way of the mirror, a grin spreading on her face as Chuck blushed at the truth of the statement, “Don’t worry, Baby, you may still see something new come Saturday.”

“Oh really?” He stepped up behind her, a sly grin on his face as he wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck, “What exactly do you have in mind? Because I have some suggestions.”

“Oh really?” She sighed, leaning into him.

“Mm-hmm,” Chuck pressed kisses along her neck, as one hand lightly trailed along her body as he described what he had in mind, “I’m thinking satin straps, and lace that rides the line between flirty and sexy and, of course, you can’t forget the matching lace boy shorts with that little bow that sits just below your navel like a little gift waiting for me to unwrap. Not that I need all that trimming, because you are sexy to me, no matter what you are wearing, or not wearing. Hell, I think your sexiest look is you in my Stanford shirt with those barely-there panties you like to wear. Do you have any idea how sexy I think you are?”

“I think I have an idea,” Sarah husked, pressing back into him, feeling his hardness press against the cleft of her ass before turning in his arms and pressing a hot kiss to his lips. “I feel the same way when I see you walking around in your shorts and no shirt after going for a jog, all sweaty and delicious. I also love the way you look first thing in the morning, all rumpled and sexy before you’ve shaved for the day, your pajama pants slung low on your hips and your t-shirt giving me glimpses of your happy trail as you reach up and around making coffee. If you add snuggling Molly to that, my God, you are absolutely irresistible.”

“Irresistible, huh?” Chuck grinned against her lips, guiding her to the bed as he slowly undid the buttons on her shirt, letting his hands trail down her body as it fell to the floor.

“Oh yeah,” Sarah nodded, pulling his shirt over his head, “You underestimate how sexy ‘Daddy’ looks on you.”

“I get it, you just like me for my paternal instincts,” Chuck teased, laying her down on the bed.

“Yeah, and your body,” Sarah ran her fingers over his torso, feeling the plains and ridges of his pecks, abs, and back. “And that knee-melting Bartowski grin of yours.” She then met his eyes, a serious look brewing in her own, “But most of all, your heart is what does it for me. How deeply and intensely you love. I know spies are taught to hide their feelings, to lock away that part of them, but you never do.”

“Only when it comes to you,” Chuck smiled softly down at her, his fingers trailing along her side, “I could never hide anything from you. You can read me too well, just as I’m able to read you. Your eyes always give you away, even when everything else is pure Agent Walker, your eyes are always Sarah, my beautiful Sarah. Do you have any idea how much I love you?”

“If it is even half as much as I love you, I am a lucky woman,” Sarah returned his smile.

“Then you must love me a great deal,” Chuck pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

“Let me show you how much,” Sarah rolled them over until she was straddling his hips, leaning down to trail kisses from his lips and down his body as she slowly divested them both of their clothes and taking her time showing him with every touch and movement how she felt about him.

Not that Chuck needed proof, he gave as good as he got, returning each touch with a caress of his own. Moving with her as she shattered and melted around him, drawing him closer until they were both completely spent and wrapped in each other’s arms. How he’d become so lucky as to have this, amazing, awe-inspiring woman in his life as his partner both professionally and personally, he didn’t know. But whatever the reason, she was here now, and he was going to do his damnedest to make it last.

The thought brought a smile to his lips as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, drawing her closer in his arms as he allowed himself to drift off into a peaceful sleep, the woman he loved nestled in his arms. Forever sounded like a good enough length of time to start with. He could work with forever.


	13. Chapter 13

Chuck paced the living room, fidgeting with his silver cufflinks; the accessories, engraved with ‘CB’ in a filigree script on the face with a dark cardinal border, were a gift from Ellie for his graduation from Stanford five years before. He paused at the mirror next to the door to make sure his charcoal suit was still unwrinkled and straightened his dark burgundy tie before looking at his watch once more and then down the hall with a sigh. “Sarah,” He called out, “Would you please hurry up? We are going to be late.”

“We’ll be there in a minute, Chuck,” She called back from the bedroom, “We’re just about ready.”

Chuck rolled his eyes; she’d been saying the same thing for the last 15 minutes. Finally, he heard the door of their bedroom open. He walked over to the hat tree in the corner and slid on his black trench coat before grabbing Sarah’s light grey trench and a small black jacket for Molly, laying both over his arm as he turned to see his girls approaching from the hall. Sarah was wearing a burgundy dress that was just a few shades lighter than his tie, it had a scalloped lace v-neckline, bodice, and short sleeves with a knee-length, a line, and a chiffon skirt. She completed the look with silver, strappy, heeled, sandals. Her blonde hair was down and fell in soft ringlets to her shoulders. Molly wore a matching dress with a velvet, long sleeved bodice and fluffy tulle skirt with a large bow at the right side of the waist line. White stockings and black Mary-Janes completed the outfit. On her head, Sarah, had placed a matching headband with a bow.

“Wow, you two look beautiful,” Chuck smiled at them, kissing Sarah, and helping her put Molly’s jacket on before assisting Sarah on with her own coat. “Are you sure we aren’t too matchy?”

“I’m sure,” Sarah assured him, “Hold this,” She handed Molly to him so she could straighten his tie, which had gone askew again. “You look pretty handsome yourself.”

“Thank you, Baby,” Chuck smiled warmly down at her, “Alright, are we ready to go now?”

“Let’s go,” Sarah nodded, picking up her purse and Molly’s diaper bag and looping both straps over her shoulder, “We have a wedding to go to.”

~~~~~~~~~

The chapel was beautifully decorated for the event, on the altar was a lattice archway that was interwoven with navy blue and silver satin sashes. White roses and bluebells were woven together over the top and sides of the archway. The pews had the same blue and silver sashes lining the center aisle, small bouquets of navy-blue hydrangea interspersed with white roses and baby’s breath were attached to alternating pews. A lace-edged white runner ran the length of the center aisle. Chuck and Sarah allowed the usher to show them to their seat before leaving their coats to hold their places while they walked to the back of the sanctuary to speak with some mutual friends of the happy couple. They knew the short ceremony would still be pushing the limits of Molly’s patience. Knowing this, they chose to wait to reclaim their seats until the last minute so as to reduce the chance of her melting down.

Before long, the wedding coordinator and ushers began letting people know the wedding was about to start and that they needed to take their seats. The processional music began as the minister, Scott, and his best man took their place at the front of the sanctuary. Moments later, women dressed in floor length navy colored satin gowns in different styles started down the aisle on the arms of their escorts, with the exception of the maid of honor who walked alone. All the women carried bouquets of white and navy-blue hydrangea accented with baby’s breath. The men all wore grey suits and navy-blue ties, the notable exception being Scott who looked equal parts excited and nervous in his dark navy suit with a navy and silver striped tie.

The congregation could hear the soft bump of the doors against the frame as they were closed to allow Lou and her father to get into position while the processional music changed to Pachelbel’s Cannon in D. Lou’s mother stood as she saw the sanctuary doors begin to swing open, the movement echoed throughout the congregation as Lou and Mr. Pallone made their way down the aisle. Chuck couldn’t help but smile at the look on Scotts face, a mix of awe, bemusement, and love as he looked at his bride. Lou wore a mermaid-style satin gown with cap sleeves, and a sweetheart neckline. She wore a navy-blue sash around her waist that tied in the back with the tails falling to the start of the chapel train of her gown. She had her right arm linked with her father’s and in her left, she carried a white bouquet of hydrangea, spray roses, and baby’s breath. Her smile was infectious, and her face shown with absolute love and devotion as she locked eyes with her groom.

As Lou passed by, Chuck turned his focus to Sarah, who was watching the procession, wondering if and hoping that they might find themselves in this place, the point in their relationship where they were ready to make such a permanent and life-long commitment to each other. He could almost imagine how Sarah would look, dressed in white, walking toward him, Clara and Molly skipping a few feet ahead tossing rose petals haphazardly along the way.

As the pastor instructed the congregation to take their seats and welcomed them, Chuck shook his head of his musings and chose to focus on the ceremonial words being spoken. At some point Molly, who had begun to fuss, had been relocated to his lap and soon fallen asleep. As the couple began to recite their vows, his hand found Sarah’s. The two shared a small glance and a smile, communicating the same promises of love and support silently to each other. Soon after, rings were exchanged, and the pastor was introducing Mr. and Mrs. Scott and Lou Tucker for the first time to the applause and cheers of the guests. The pair shared a kiss and exited down the aisle followed by their attendants.

“We are so glad you two could make it!” Lou gushed, hugging Chuck, then Sarah, careful not to squish Molly who was still held in Chuck’s arms, “You guys have been so busy lately, I was a little worried you wouldn’t be able to.”

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world, Lou,” Chuck assured her before looking between the couple, “Mind if I kiss the bride?”

At Scott’s nod, Chuck bent down and placed a chaste kiss on Lou’s cheek, before shaking Scott’s hand, “Congratulations, we wish you both every happiness.”

“Someday, this could well be you,” Scott grinned, placing an arm around his new bride’s waist.

“Maybe,” Chuck shrugged, looking down at Sarah, a soft smile on his lips, “We only just met a few months ago, so we aren’t in any rush. If it works out that way, I certainly wouldn’t complain, but it’s not only my decision.”

Sarah smiled back at him, before turning back to their friends, “Yeah, someday, but I agree with Chuck, we’re not in any hurry. We know this is where we hope our relationship will eventually lead, but so much has happened in the past few months for us individually and as a couple, that there are some things we just want to take slow.”

“I hear you,” Scott agreed while Lou nodded alongside him.

“Well, we’ll leave you to your other guests and photos and what not,” Chuck smiled at them, “We’ll see you at the reception. Just a word of advice, make sure you take the time to stop and eat sometime tonight, right after you arrive if you can. My sister got so wrapped up in making the rounds and fitting in dances, cake, and the tosses that she nearly passed out from a low blood sugar before Awesome made her sit down and eat something.”

“Thanks for the tip, Chuck,” Lou chuckled, “We’ll keep that in mind.”

“The wedding was beautiful,” Sarah added.

“Thank you,” Lou grinned at her new friend.

With one last round of hugs, Chuck, Sarah, and Molly made their way out to Chuck’s Matrix to head to the reception.

~~~~~~~~~

The ballroom of the Grand Ambassador was elegantly decorated, several round tables stood in a semi-circle around three sides of the dance floor at the center of the room, on the fourth side was a platform with a long table for the bridal party. All the chairs had white covers with navy-blue bows and at the center of every table were small floral arrangements matching the bridal bouquets. A Deejay was set up in a corner of the room just behind the bridal party’s table and on the far side of the dance floor across from the bridal table sat a small table with the wedding cake on display. Soft music was playing as guests enjoyed the complimentary cocktail hour until the pictures were completed and the happy couple and their entourage arrived.

Near the entrance of the ballroom sat a low rectangular table with place cards, Chuck and Sarah found their cards and went in search of their assigned table. Sarah couldn’t help but smile when they arrived at their table which was located to the left of the dance floor, just off center. It was clear that the staff had been informed that Molly would be with them, as a high chair had been provided, complete with silver and blue balloons and streamers on the back and a name tag bearing Molly’s name on the front of the tray. Chuck got them seated and headed to get drinks, by the time he’d returned, Sarah had Molly in her lap and was handing her puff snacks to munch on.

“White Zin for the lady,” Chuck leaned over Sarah’s shoulder, placing the glass of wine on the table before her as he kissed her neck.

“Flirt,” Sarah grinned up at him.

“Only with you,” He gave her the Bartowski grin and took his seat, sipping his scotch. “How’s Sweet Pea doing?”

“She’s doing just fine with her snacks for now,” Sarah nodded to the baby who had nearly all of her little hand shoved in her mouth, gumming on her treat.

“Chuck!” They turned to find a petite older woman with greying auburn hair approaching them, “So glad you could make it!”

“We are too,” He stood and placed a soft kiss to the woman’s cheek, “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He then turned toward Sarah who was looking at them curiously, “Where are my manners, I’m sorry. Sarah, I would like you to meet Leanne Pallone, Lou’s mother.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Pallone,” Sarah shook the older woman’s hand, “The ceremony was absolutely lovely.”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Pallone smiled at the compliment, “But please call me Lee. And who is this precious little angel?”

Chuck grinned as Sarah wiped the drool off Molly’s hand with a baby wipe. “This is our daughter, Amalia, we call her Molly.”

“Oh, she is adorable!” Lee cooed, “Sarah, she looks just like you, and I think we can all tell where she got those curls from. Chuck always struck me as a good family man, I’m glad he found someone who feels the same way.”

“Thank you,” Chuck and Sarah blushed.

“It was nice seeing you again Chuck, and it was nice meeting you, Sarah,” Lee smiled beatifically at them, “You two truly make a beautiful couple. Enjoy the party.”

After another round of pleasantries, Lee left to greet other guests. The bridal party had arrived and were milling around the room talking to friends and family as the wedding coordinator came in and made a bee-line to the deejay, whispering something to him before heading back the way she came. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please,” The man announced, lowering the volume of the ambient music, “It is my honor to present, for the first time in public, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Tucker!” With the press of a button and a slide of a toggle, celebratory music played over the sound system as the newlyweds entered the room to the cheers and applause of their friends and family.

Scott led his bride to their seats and were soon joined by their bridal party, a runner brought him a microphone as the music died out, “Thank you for joining us today, we are truly blessed that so many of our friends and family, some of whom traveled a great distance to be here, are celebrating with us today. So many of you have led us to this point, made us the people we are, and acted as shining beacons of encouragement, love and support as we walked our individual paths which eventually led to this shared road, we start down today. That being said, Lou, myself, and much of our bridal party haven’t eaten since breakfast so we are famished, so let’s eat!”

A great cheer went up from the guests as everyone took their seats. The ballroom was a hive of activity as servers dressed in black tux pants or skirts, white dress shirts, and black vests quickly made their rounds, serving the bridal party first followed by the parents of the bride and groom and then each table down the line after that until everyone was served. As the guests ate, the room was a din of low conversation and laughter, Chuck and Sarah had moved Molly’s highchair to temporarily sit between them so they could take turns feeding her from the baby food jars they’d brought with them and had been kindly heated by the staff for them.

They fielded many questions from the other guests at their table from how they’d met, to how old Molly was, what they did for a living, and what brought them to LA. As the guests were finishing up their dinners and conversation, the deejay announced it was time for the speeches. The best man, a cousin of Scott’s, told a few mildly embarrassing stories of Scott growing up before sharing some heartfelt advice borne of his own marriage, and then wishing the couple well. The maid of honor’s speech was equal parts touching and humorous, Chuck even caught Sarah wiping away a stray tear at one point, she also wished the couple well and shared a blessing that had been passed on down through her family. The parents of the happy couple also shared their sentiments and well wishes for the newlyweds’ future before the deejay announced it was time for the first dance of the night.

Lou smiled up at her husband as Scott offered his hand to escort them to the dance floor. As soon as they were at the center of the dance floor ‘You and Me’ by Lifehouse began to play as the couple waltzed across the floor. It was clear how happy the couple was together as they spun and twirled across the floor, ending with a dip as the guests whistled and cat-called the newlyweds.

Scott then passed Lou off to her father as Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman began to play, surprising many of the guests. A couple minutes into the dance, the deejay invited all the fathers and daughter in attendance to join Lou and her father on the dance floor. It didn’t take long for Lou to notice Chuck still sitting at his table next to Sarah with Molly in his lap. “Bartowski, you have 5 seconds to get your ass on this dance floor.” She shouted at him with a faux-stern look.

With a roll of his eyes, he adjusted Molly so that she was resting in his right arm and walked out on the dance floor where he took her little hand in his large one and began to sway to the music, barely hearing the coos and awes from the guests closest to him. He spun fast, suddenly, causing Molly to squeal with delight as he laughed. Little did he know; Sarah had been filming and taking pictures of their dance, all of which would be later sent to his sister. As the song came to an end, Chuck tilted Molly down, simulating a dip, before returning to his seat with Molly in his lap once more.

“I think that was one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen from you two,” Sarah beamed up at him, pressing a kiss to his cheek as they watched Scott cross the floor and lead his mother out on the floor for their dance.

Once the obligatory dances were finished the floor was opened up to all the guests Chuck and Sarah mostly watched, although they did go out, Molly in their arms to bounce around a bit when the little girl started to get antsy from all the sitting. Before they got to their seats, they were stopped by Lee.

“Why don’t you hand her over to me so you two can get a dance together?” She suggested, holding out her arms to the little girl.

Chuck and Sarah tried to decline, but Molly clearly had other ideas and practically dove into the grandmotherly embrace of Lou’s mother, “See even Molly agrees with me. Now you two go have fun, Molly and I are just gonna go sit down for a bit.”

Knowing they’d been beat, Chuck held his hand out to Sarah and guided her onto the floor as Journey’s ‘Open Arms’ began to play. He pulled her into his arms, his right hand resting on her lower back while he held her right hand against his chest, just above his heart. She had wrapped her left arm over his upper arm and hand her hand draped over his shoulder where her head rested, close enough he could feel her soft breaths as they swayed to the music, trying to keep a low profile.

“Is that really the best you can do?” Lou scoffed teasingly from a few feet away where she was dancing with her husband.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Sarah challenged.

“You’re really going to let him get away with the high school hug and rock?” Lou rolled her eyes, “I know he doesn’t have the best moves, but I know he can at least do better than that.”

“I’d do as she says,” Scott warned, “Best not to provoke Bridezilla.”

“I’ll show you Bridezilla,” Lou teased, poking her husband’s shoulder.

Chuck and Sarah just looked at each other silently communicating about whether or not they should give in to Lou’s challenge. Finally, a decision was reached, “We really gonna do this?” Chuck asked quietly.

“They asked for it,” Sarah grinned.

“Okay, then let’s do this,” Chuck returned her smile. Instantaneously, he had her in a proper ballroom hold, executing a perfect Viennese Waltz, complete with natural turns, sweeps, balance steps, and twirls, much to the shock of Lou, Scott, and the rest of their guests. As the song ended, Chuck deeply dipped Sarah, kissing her neck before returning her to her feet, matching wide grins and loving looks on their faces. They were so wrapped up in each other, they barely registered the applause from the people who had just witnessed their dance.

“What in the Hell was that?” Lou demanded, walking up to her friends.

“You said to do better,” Chuck shrugged cheekily, “We did better.”

“Have you always been able to dance like that?” She asked.

“No,” Chuck shook his head, “An ex of mine insisted we take a class at Stanford.”

“So, you could dance like that when you were in college?” Lou challenged, a bemused expression on her face.

“Um, well,” Chuck blushed, “Yes and no, I took the class Freshman or Sophomore year.”

“Son of a…” Lou scoffed, “You really got me, Chuck. I had no idea.”

“Those were some pretty nice moves you had out there,” Scott piped in, “I’m impressed, if I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought you were pros.”

“Thanks,” Chuck blushed, shaking his friend’s hand, “We should probably head back to our table and reclaim Molly from your mother-in-law before she starts getting any ideas of kidnapping or grandchildren.”

Whatever retort was about to come from Lou’s lips was cut off by the deejay announcing it was time to cut the cake. Lou and Scott made their way to the table where the cake was to cut the cake and serve each other the ceremonial first bites. Once the cake had been distributed and eaten, the dancing continued for a little while more when it came time for the bouquet and garter tosses.

The deejay started by calling all the unmarried women onto the floor, despite the encouragement of the other people at their table, Sarah chose to stay seated with Chuck, who had Molly in his lap once more, feeding her small bites of cake. When Lou noticed this, she rolled her eyes, taking a good look at where Sarah was located, she deliberately threw the flowers wild. She heard a chorus of disappointed sighs and a surprised exclamation from the side of the room, which brought a smile to her lips as she turned to find that her aim had been true. Sarah was lifting the bouquet from her lap and giving Lou her own eye roll as Chuck snickered beside her.

When the chair was brought out so that Scott could retrieve Lou’s garter, the single men were invited to join him on the floor. The men hooted, hollered, and cat-called while Scott took his time searching for Lou’s garter as she laughed at his antics. Once he had the delicate article in his hand, he slid it down her leg and over her foot, waiving it over his head as the men cheered. Scott looked around and saw that Chuck was still seated next to Sarah. He turned to his bride and shared a mischievous look, only to be answered by her small nod at what he was about to do. Scott looped one end of the garter over the index finger of his left hand and puled back with his right, stretching it like a rubber band about to be used as a slingshot. He aimed it at the gathering of men on the other end of the dance floor before quickly readjusting and shooting it directly at Chuck.

Chuck looked up just in time to see a projectile coming straight for him and Molly in his lap. He quickly dropped the fork he was holding and snatched the item out of the air a spit second before it hit Molly’s blonde curls. Feeling the light weight and lace of the item, he turned his hand over and took a look at what he caught. Looking toward his friends he shook his head, “Yeah, real subtle, guys,” he snarked, twirling the lacy item on his forefinger as the newlyweds laughed.

The deejay invited Chuck and Sarah to share a dance in the center of the floor since they were the ones who had caught the bouquet and garter. It was clear from the cheers, and the fact that Lou and Scott had already come to take Molly off their hands for the next few minutes, that they really had no choice. With a shrug of his shoulders, he turned to his girlfriend, “Miss Walker, may I have the pleasure of this dance?” He drawled, using the accent he’d used on their first trip together.

“Why Mr. Bartowski, I though you would never ask,” She replied in a light Texan accent, hamming it up for their audience.

When they’d reached the center of the dance floor, the deejay started playing ‘Marry Me’ by Train. Chuck laughed lightly and shook his head as he recognized the song from the first few bars, as it had been the song Ellie and Awesome had used when he’d escorted his sister down the aisle at her wedding. “Oh yeah, they’re as subtle as a jackhammer,” He chuckled.

“They mean well,” Sarah shrugged as she allowed Chuck to lead her across the floor. She grinned as he spun her out and then back into his arms, “I mean, it’s not like we haven’t talked about it, in theory.”

“True,” Chuck acquiesced, “And neither of us are opposed to the idea…”

Sarah paused momentarily, “You’re not…”

Chuck’s eyes widened as he tried to back pedal, “I, um, well, no,” He stammered, “It’s still too soon for that. We haven’t been together very long, and we only just moved in together. That’s kind of a huge step to be taking at this exact juncture.”

“I agree,” Sarah nodded an odd mix of relief and, oddly enough, disappointment washed over her in equal parts.

“Besides,” Chuck shrugged, giving her another spin, “If I were to propose, I wouldn’t do it when everyone’s eyes are on us. I’d make it special and there would be absolutely no doubt over what I was doing.”

“Good,” Sarah nodded.

“Great,” Chuck agreed, “But just for the record, if that time ever comes, the answer would be a positive one, right?”

“I think you would be pleased with the answer you received,” Sarah confirmed.

Chuck just grinned, dipping her as the music ended to the applause of the guests who had watched them dancing. As he brought her back to her feet, he looked at his watch realizing the time, “Glad we got that straightened out, but we should probably get going soon.”

“What time is it?” Sarah asked, looking at his watch, “Oh wow, yeah, probably should before Molly goes into overtired meltdown mode.”

The couple quickly crossed the floor and collected their daughter from their friends, thanking them for the invitation and making their excuses to leave. After a round of hugs and handshakes, Chuck helped Sarah and Molly on with their coats and pulled his own over his suit. Moments later, he was guiding them across the parking lot toward the Matrix so they could head home and get Molly to bed.

Later that evening, after they had checked that Molly was asleep and gotten changed into their pajamas, they curled up on the couch. Sarah was sipping a glass of wine while Chuck was absent-mindedly swirling a couple fingers of Johnny Walker, neat, around in its glass tumbler. After a while he took a small sip and shifted a bit in his seat, pulling Sarah closer to him with his free hand. “I know we said we haven’t been together long enough to take that step,” He spoke quietly, “I mean, I know that some day in the distant future I would very much like to take that step, preferably with you, but how far in the future are we talking?”

“I don’t know,” Sarah shrugged lightly, “Maybe in a year, maybe more, maybe less. Whenever it is, I would very much like to take that step, preferably with you as well. I think we will just know when the time is right. We just have to keep talking about it until ‘someday’ turns into ‘today.’”

“Okay,” Chuck nodded resolutely before pressing a soft kiss to Sarah’s lips, “I can live with that. Until then, we can just enjoy were we are now. Happily cohabitating and raising our beautiful little girl.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Sarah tapped her wine glass against Chuck’s tumbler. They both took a drink and Sarah laid her head against Chuck’s shoulder as they enjoyed the peace and quiet in their living room. “The wedding was beautiful. It was a bit more than I would have done, but nice just the same.”

“I’m with you on that,” Chuck nodded, taking a sip of his whisky, “I would just want something small, maybe in a small chapel or private venue with a few family and friends around us.”

“That would be nice,” Sarah agreed, “I can almost picture it in my head, is it weird that we aren’t ready to take that step, but we are discussing what our wedding would look like?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Chuck shrugged, “I mean, I think most people who hope to marry some day pick up ideas here and there on how they think their wedding might look. Just because we aren’t there yet, doesn’t mean we won’t ever get there. I think talking about what we envision it to look like will help in the long run, so that it’s not as stressful when the time comes to start putting plans into motion. Especially with our job, the simpler, the better.”

“Very true,” Sarah agreed, swallowing the last of her wine, “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for bed.”

“Yeah, I think I could be down for that,” Chuck nodded, helping Sarah to her feet before standing himself and taking their glasses into the kitchen to rinse out.

“You coming?” Sarah gave him a sly smile before heading down the hall.

Chuck looked at her wide eyed, “Just to be clear, you mean sex, right?”

“Just get in here,” Sarah called back to him, squealing as Chuck gave her a feral grin and chased her in to their room, letting the door close behind them as they fell into the bed.


	14. Chapter 14

“Lovely afternoon, isn’t it, Agent Walker?” Brody James gave her a warm smile as he returned from his lunch break.

“It is,” Sarah smiled at him, “Do you have any plans for tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Brody nodded, “I’m flying out tonight on the red eye to Maine to join my family for Thanksgiving. This is the first year since college that I’ve been able to do that. I really must remember to thank Mr. Carmichael for that. Do you have any plans?”

“We will be spending the day with family,” Sarah gave a small shrug. Although they didn’t go out of their way to hide it, they never officially told their team that she and Chuck were together, although they were fairly sure that most everyone had figured it out. “We may just let Molly try some sweet potatoes if I can get to them before they all are candied.”

“How old is she now?” Brody asked, leaning against the front of Sarah’s desk.

“Almost eight months,” Sarah smiled fondly, “She’s already starting to get up on her hands and knees and rock, we may just have a crawler on our hands before too long.”

“Are we ever going to meet her?” Brody lifted an eyebrow.

“Maybe someday,” Sarah shrugged, “I’m going to try to get Mr. Carmichael to okay a company picnic or beach day once the weather warms up again. Although depending on how busy we are next month, there may be a holiday party.”

“Sounds fun,” Brody nodded, “I probably should get to work before the boss-man notices I’ve been gone longer than my allotted lunch hour.”

“Alright, I’ll see you later, Mr. James.” Sarah gave him a kind smile and buzzed him into the office before he had a chance to swipe his badge. He gave her a thankful smile and headed through the door.

Sarah had been working on some requisition forms when her phone rang, “Carmichael Industries, how may I assist you?”

“Agent Walker, this is Director Graham, is this a secure line?” She heard her boss’s deep voice.

“Yes, we are secure,” She confirmed, pressing the button to secure the line.

Twenty minutes later, the call had ended, and Sarah was on her way into Chuck’s office. His door was open, but she still knocked on the frame and waited for him to acknowledge her before entering and closing the door behind her. “Hey there,” Chuck gave her a warm smile, “Are you here to record some dictation?”

Sarah simply rolled her eyes and gave him an amused smile, “I think we both know I am great with oration,” She saw Chuck swallow thickly as he remembered their activities of that morning, the ones that had nearly made them late for work, “However, that is not why I’m here right now. I just got off the phone with Graham. Apparently, there are some loose ends that need to be wrapped up from a case I worked before Hungary. I need to head back east for a few days and I’d have to leave on Friday or Saturday.”

“Okay, well I can’t really get away then,” Chuck flipped through the calendar on his desk, “We have a non-CIA client coming in and I still need to put together the presentation.”

“I know, Babe,” Sarah perched on the side of his desk and looked down slightly at him, “I was hoping you could handle taking care of Molly while I’m gone. If you would rather that I arrange for Anne to keep her overnight while I’m gone, I can do that.”

“No,” Chuck shook his head, taking her hand in one of his own as his other hand traced circles on her knee, which was exposed under her skirt, “You go, take care of whatever it is you need to take care of in DC, I will take care of Molly.”

“Are you sure?” Sarah checked.

“Sarah, Baby,” Chuck met her eyes, “I promise, we’ll be fine. If I run into an issue, I have your mom’s number programed into my speed dial along with Molly’s pediatrician. Barring that, remember we do live next door to the Doctors Awesome, the feminine of which is one of the best moms I know, second only to you.”

“Charmer,” Sarah teased to hide her relief, “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” Chuck assured her, “I love you and Molly, I would do anything for you two.”

“I love you, Chuck,” Sarah leaned down toward him.

“I love you too, Sarah,” Chuck met her halfway and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. Both thankful they’d chosen the smoked glass for his office. “Okay, now I have to get back to work. I want to get as much done today as I can so I don’t have work on the brain while we eat that delicious bird that my sister will be slaving over all day.”

“Oh, speaking of Ellie, could you remind her to set aside some of the sweet potatoes and maybe some plain green beans tomorrow?” Sarah slid off the desk, “I’m thinking I might introduce Molly to them tomorrow.”

“Sure,” Chuck nodded, standing to walk her to the door, “I’ll ask her to leave out the food processor too.”

“Thanks,” Sarah grinned, giving him one last kiss before he opened the door for her to exit. On her way back to her desk she was met with a very ill and nervous looking Agent McAllister. “Agent McAllister, are you feeling okay?”

Josie’s eyes darted around a moment before leaning in close to Sarah, “Do you have a minute?” Her eyes darted toward the small conference room.

“Sure,” Sarah nodded and walked to the conference room with Josie. Once the door was closed and locked behind them, Josie burst into tears. “Josie, what’s wrong?”

“Um, you see,” Josie hedged, “I’ve been feeling a little under the weather lately. Nothing that impacts my work specifically, just a touch nauseous and tired. Normally, I’d chalk it up to long hours, but Mr. Carmichael doesn’t make us work long hours and I usually head out no later than seven, even on my longer days.”

“Uh huh,” Sarah nodded, an inkling of where this was going tickling her brain, but not wanting to jump to conclusions.

“Well, during my lunch break, I swung by Large Mart,” Josie started to pace, wringing her hands as she went, “When Kevin came out to surprise me last month, we got a little drunk and one thing led to another and…”

“I get the picture,” Sarah nodded, saving the girl from the explanation.

“I realized that Aunt Flo was super late for her visit, so I bought a test, you know one of _those_ tests,” Josie blushed.

“So, are congratulations in order?” Sarah asked.

“Yes, no, I don’t know,” Josie finally sighed, “I mean I always wanted to be a mom, but not so soon. I always expected I’d meet someone, get married and then a couple years later we might try for a kid or two.”

“Does Kevin know?” Sarah tilted her head, meeting the young analyst’s eyes.

“I haven’t told him yet,” Josie shrugged, “He only just arranged to transfer to a hospital here, Westside Medical.”

“That’s a good hospital, I have a couple friends who work there,” Sarah assured her.

“I’m just worried that he’ll think I’m trying to trap him into getting married,” Josie confessed, “Last time he was here, we kinda danced around the subject of settling down together.”

“Alright, well answer me this,” Sarah stood in front of Josie, taking her hands in her own, “Take the baby out of the equation for a moment, do you want to marry Kevin?”

“With all my heart,” Josie confirmed.

“And has Kevin ever mentioned wanting to have kids with you some day?”

“Yes,” Josie gave her a small smile.

“Then I think I will say congratulations and leave you to let Kevin know your good news.” Sarah gave Josie a warm smile.

“How did you do it?” Josie asked as Sarah turned toward the door.

“One day at a time,” Sarah shrugged, “I know it seems like I have it all together, I can only imagine the stories that have been told in Langley about me. And while it’s true that I do try to project that as much as I can, which I’m sure you’ve noticed most women in the company do, there are days when I am overwhelmed. The thing you need to remember is that in our life, good people we can rely on and trust are hard to come by, and I know it’s hard to admit when you are in over your head. You need to find those few people who you can rely on to support you when things get hard. There are nights I’ve called my mom in tears because Molly won’t stop crying and I’m at my wits end and she’s helped me to calm my own daughter so that we can both get some rest. I also have a friend who lives next door and is a wonderful mother as well as a doctor. She has pointed me to resources in the area I needed like a good doctor not only for my daughter, but for myself. I also have a wonderful partner who, without having to be asked steps up, and steps in, time and time again to share the burden of caring for Molly for no other reason than he loves us. Not that I’m saying that my daughter is a burden, but being a parent can be trying at times.”

Josie nodded silently, listening to Sarah, “And let me tell you, as scared as I was when Molly came into my life, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. If you need someone to lean on, you know where I am. I’m willing to be one of those people for you, if you want me to be.”

“Thank you, Agent Walker,” Josie nodded.

“Sarah,” She corrected the younger woman, “When we’re working, I’m Agent Walker, but right now, I’m just Sarah.”

“Sarah,” Josie nodded, “Thank you, I think I’m going to tell Kevin tonight.”

“I would still confirm with a doctor that everything is as it should be,” Sarah advised, “If you haven’t found someone already, my doctor is really good, I think you’d like her. She’s a colleague of my friend. I can send you her information if you’d like, I can see if she can squeeze you in today. I’ll arrange it with the boss if you need to cut out early to go, too.”

“Could you please?” Josie requested, “I would really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” Sarah pulled Josie into a gentle hug, “Good luck, Mama. We probably should get back to work now, though.”

“You’re probably right,” Josie nodded, wiping the last of her tears from her cheek, “Thank you again.”

“What are friends for?” Sarah smiled at her, “Oh and one more thing, if you haven’t told Kevin that you work for the Company yet, you might want to let him know, maybe not at the same time as the ‘surprise we’re pregnant’ conversation, but soon.”

“He already knows,” Josie gave Sarah a soft smile, “He worries, but he also knows that I’m essentially a glorified analyst, so that helps some.”

“Good,” Sarah nodded, “Now we really have to get back to work. Just let me know if you need me to speak to the Boss about you leaving early, okay?”

“I will,” Josie assured her. Both women shared one last smile and headed out of the conference room, Josie to her desk and Sarah to grab a cup of coffee.

“I swear, none of you ladies can keep it in your pants,” Casey huffed from where he stood in the doorway of the break room as Sarah passed by.

“Excuse me?” Sarah turned towards the older man.

“You heard me,” He grunted, “You ain’t deaf. You already had a daughter when this operation began, now McAllister is in the family way, not to mention I have my suspicions that Carmichael is mixing his chocolate with your peanut butter on a regular basis. All these lady feelings flying about are messing with my calm.”

“Major, that is quite enough,” Sarah responded tersely, placing a cup under the brewing station, selecting her coffee, and starting the machine, “And I’ll thank you to keep your opinions and suspicions as to the relational status of your coworkers to yourself.”

“You ain’t fooling anyone, lady,” Casey grunted, “And you’re both morons if you think Graham and Beckman will allow it to go any further than it has.”

“Casey, don’t you have a gun to clean or weapons to organize?” Sarah rolled her eyes.

“Whatever you say, boss-lady,” Casey grunted, pushing off of the doorway and heading toward the small weapons locker that doubled as Major Casey’s office.

Sarah sighed as her coffee finished brewing. She quickly doctored it to her liking and headed back to her desk. She really hoped that Casey was more bark than bite when it came to the interactions of his co-workers. She was mulling it over once more as their staff began to leave the office that evening.

“For the record,” Casey stopped at her desk, “I don’t care what you and Carmichael do on your off-hours so long as it doesn’t interfere with the assignment.”

“Noted,” Sarah met his gaze.

Casey just gave her a brief nod and exited the office. As soon as he was out of sight, Sarah stood and made her way to Chuck’s office.

“What was all that about?” Chuck asked, nodding toward the doors to the lobby.

“Casey decided to make his opinion known about interoffice relationships and agents being in relationships in general,” Sarah rolled her eyes.

“He knows?” Chuck pulled her into his office and closed the door behind them before drawing her into his arms.

“He suspects,” Sarah shrugged, leaning against his shoulder, “He won’t say anything unless it interferes with the operation, that’s what he came to my desk to tell me.”

“What exactly did he say?” Chuck looked down at her.

“Basically, that it’s none of his business what we do after hours, unless it becomes an issue in the field,” Sarah advised.

“So, it was a warning?” Chuck asked.

“More or less,” Sarah sighed, “Unless he has definitive proof that one or both of us are compromised, he won’t say anything to the general. But considering what happened when we were back East closing my apartment and interviewing the team, then Molly waking up during our introduction to General Beckman, and now Casey with his chocolate and peanut butter analogy…”

“What?” Chuck quirked and eyebrow in amusement.

“He said that he suspected you were mixing your chocolate with my peanut butter,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “Whatever that means.”

“So, what you’re saying is we need to be a little more careful,” Chuck surmised.

“At least when we are on-duty,” Sarah nodded.

“Hmm,” Chuck looked at her thoughtfully before giving her a Puckish grin as he reached behind her to lock the office door, “So I suppose doing this would be out of the question,” He lowered his lips to her neck and nibbled at her pulse point.

“Yeah probably,” Sarah chuckled.

“Then this would be pushing it,” Chuck unbuttoned Sara’s blouse and let it fall to the floor as he backed her up to his desk, his fingers playing with the lace trim of her bra.

“It is definitely pushing the limits of appropriate office interactions,” Sarah sighed as his thumb brushed against her nipple on its way to assist in releasing the front closure of her bra.

“So, I guess this would be considered inappropriate as well,” Chuck’s hands brushed against her sides as they drifted down to and then under the hem of her skirt as he lifted her to sit on the desk.

“I would say so,” Sarah groaned as he lowered his mouth to her chest while, his hands drifted up her thighs, fingers stroking and tracing designs along her soft skin.

“Then this would be completely out of bounds,” He whispered, dropping to his knees before her, pressing kisses along her inner thighs starting at her knees and working his way up until he found his prize. 

“Yes, it is,” Sarah gasped, clutching the curls on the back of his head, drawing him closer, “But don’t stop.”

“As you wish,” Chuck whispered hotly against her, before putting his mouth to better use. He smiled as he heard her moan as she pressed tighter to him, seeking more contact. She whimpered when he stopped his ministrations briefly enough to relocate them to the sofa in his office where he gave her the contact they were both desperately needing. Later when she was laying in his arms on the couch, he spoke again, “So, what you’re saying is we shouldn’t be doing that? Because, I have to say, we’re pretty good at inter-office oration and dictation.”

“Shut up,” Sarah snickered against his chest, “We have to go get Molly.”

“Yeah,” Chuck sighed, his fingers lazily trailing up and down Sarah’s spine, “We probably should be responsible parents and got get our daughter from the sitter’s, huh?”

“Oh, like going into Daddy mode isn’t your favorite part of the day,” Sarah rolled her eyes as she shifted off of her boyfriend, pulling on her bra and blouse before running her fingers through her hair. She picked up her panties from where they’d been discarded in front of Chuck’s desk and turned to find him rebuttoning his shirt and zipping up his fly. “Although, I think I’ll let you hold onto these until we get home. A little incentive for after we put Molly to bed.” She tucked the panties into his pocket.

Chuck blushed slightly as he bent down to press a lingering kiss to her lips, “Oh I don’t need any more incentive than the presence of the most beautiful woman in my bed.”

“Charmer,” Sarah chuckled.

“Yeah, but you love me anyway,” He teased, shrugging on his suit jacket and opening his office door.

“God help me, I do.” She smiled up at him as she exited his office, him following close behind. The matrix was the last car in the lot when they’d exited the building, hand in hand, Chuck opened the door for her to slide in, she couldn’t help but chuckle when his eyes dropped briefly down to where her skirt rode up a little over her bare legs, “One track mind…” She teased.

“Can you blame me?” He grinned, leaning in to press another kiss to her lips before closing the door. As soon as Chuck had the car started and in gear, he reclaimed her hand as they drove towards Anne’s home to pick up Molly.

The rest of the night went by quickly. Sarah fed and bathed Molly while Chuck made their dinner. Once the baby was sleeping soundly in her room, they sat down to share the pasta primavera that Chuck had made. As soon as dinner was done, and dishes were washed and put away, Chuck turned to Sarah a roguish smile on his lips. “Now I believe there was some talk of incentive, Miss Walker,” He intoned, sweeping her up in his arms and making his way toward their room. “Just as I said, the most beautiful woman in my bed is the best incentive.”

“Hmm, then what exactly is my incentive?” Sarah teased.

“I think I can come up with something,” Chuck grinned.


	15. Chapter 15

There was barely anyone in the drop off zone of the Burbank Airport as Chuck pulled his Matrix to a stop. He quickly popped the trunk and pulled Sarah’s bags out while she said goodbye to her daughter who was dozing in the back seat. Chuck waited quietly as Sarah tried to collect herself and close the door of the car. He gave her a soft smile as she walked towards where he stood on the sidewalk. Using his thumbs, he wiped the tears from her eyes as he cradled her face in his hands. “We’re going to miss you while you’re gone.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips, “Stay safe.”

“I will,” Sarah assured him as she returned his kiss, “I’m going to miss you too. I love you, so much.”

“I love you too, Sarah,” Chuck whispered, pulling her into his arms for a tight hug and one last kiss before she walked toward the terminal, turning to give a small wave and disappearing through the doors.

Chuck gave a sigh as he walked back to the car, “Okay, Sweet Pea, it’s just you and me for a few days.” He turned over the ignition and pulled away from the curb, “What do you say to getting a little more sleep then going to bug Auntie Ellie and Uncle Awesome?”

~~~~~~~~~

Chuck was awakened by a scream from Molly’s room followed by a gagging sound and shrill crying. He shot out of bed and ran to the little girl’s room to find her sitting in her crib, her sheets and pajamas covered in vomit and crying pitifully. Heat was radiating off of her small body as he picked her up and carried her to the changing table to get her out of her soiled clothes and into a clean onesie and a diaper. Opening the top drawer of the changing table, while holding a hand, gently, on the baby’s chest to hold her in place, he grabbed the thermometer. He ran the probe over her forehead and waited for the screen to give him a reading, “103.2, Christ,” He swore, pulling the sobbing girl into his arms, wrapping her in the afghan from the rocking chair, and walking as fast as he could to his room to retrieve his phone.

Turning on the screen and hitting the speed dial for his sister, he waited as he heard the call ring, “Come on, Elle, pick up…”

“_Hello, you’ve reached Doctor Elinore Woodcomb, I’m not able to answer my phone at the moment, but please leave a message…”_

“Damnit!” Chuck cursed under his breath before hanging up the phone and hitting Devon’s number, “Come on man, I need you to be Awesome right now, answer your pho…”

“_’Lo_?” Came Devon’s sleepy voice.

“Devon!” Chuck cried, “Thank God, please tell me you or Ellie are home?”

“_Um, yeah, we’re both here, hold on,” _Chuck could hear shuffling over the line as his brother-in-law attempted to wake his wife, “_Ellie, Babe, wake up, Chuck’s on the phone. He sounds worried.”_

Ellie shot straight up, nearly knocking her head into Devon’s as he tried to sit back from her, seeing she’d missed a call, she swore and motioned for Devon to hand over his phone. “_Chuck? It’s 3:30 in the morning, what’s wrong?”_

“I don’t know, Elle,” Chuck sighed, “Molly woke up crying and when I came to calm her down, she had thrown up, and she’s got a high temperature…”

“_How high?_” Ellie interrupted.

“103.2,” Chuck relayed.

“_Shit, Chuck, I’ll be right there,”_ Ellie didn’t wait for a response before hanging up. She quickly informed her husband of what was going on and jumped out of bed. Changing quickly, she exchanged her pajama pants for jeans and pulling on a bra under the shirt she’d long ago stolen from Devon to sleep in, she grabbed her medical kit and her favorite sweater. Shoving her feet into sneakers, she made her way to Chuck’s apartment, using her key, she quickly got through the front door and ran to the baby’s room.

“Give her here,” She set her bag on the dresser and held her hands out to Chuck, who settled the miserable baby into her arms. “Okay, Sweetheart, let’s see if Auntie Ellie can figure out what’s wrong with you. Chuck, while I do this, throw her sheets, blanket, and pajamas in the wash. Oh, and open the window a bit, it’s starting to smell in here.”

Chuck simply nodded before setting about completing the tasks he’d been assigned to.

“Okay, Baby, now that your Daddy is occupied, lets take a look at you.” She quickly went through basic triage, checking the infant’s temperature again, and running some basic visual tests. She noticed the little girl was pulling on her ear. _Might be an ear infection, but that wouldn’t cause vomiting._ She mused, _Might be a secondary infection._

“Anne said that there had been a bug going around the daycare last week,” Chuck mentioned, returning to the room to stand beside his sister, letting Molly hold onto two of his fingers as he ran the palm of his other hand soothingly over the girl’s fevered head.

“It might be the flu,” Ellie agreed, “I think she might have an ear infection, too.” She pulled and otoscope out of her bag, snapped on a thin, ear specula and turned on the light as she tilted the little girl’s head to examine her ears, “Just as I thought, there’s some redness and inflammation in her right ear,” She sighed looking up at her brother, “Do you know if she’s allergic to anything, medication?”

“Sulfa, I think,” Chuck shook his head, “Sarah wrote it down, one sec.” He dashed out of the room, returning with a piece of printer paper with information listed on it, “Yeah, Sulfa.”

“Okay, I’m going to write her a prescription for Amoxicillin for the ear infection,” Ellie sighed, pulling out a small bottle of infant-strength Motrin from her bag, she measured out a small dosage in a syringe and inserted the open end of the tube into Molly’s mouth, she slowly depressed the plunger until all the liquid had been swallowed by the infant, “I’m going to leave the Motrin with you. Give her one ounce every eight hours to help with her fever. I’m going to go to the hospital pharmacy to get her prescription, shouldn’t be too long to do that and come back. If her temperature doesn’t drop below 103 in the next hour and a half, I don’t care if I’m not back yet, take her straight to the emergency room. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Ellie,” Chuck nodded, picking up the little girl and snuggling her to his chest, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Ellie gave him a small smile, “She’s going to be fine, I think it’s just a touch of the flu that is being exasperated by the ear infection. Make sure she gets lots of rest and liquids, I’ll bring some Pedialyte when I get back with her meds.”

“Okay,” Chuck nodded and settled into the rocking chair to rock Molly back to sleep as best he could.

Ellie packed up her med kit as quickly as she could. Pulling on her sweater, she pressed a soft kiss to Molly’s head as well as Chuck’s cheek, “I’ll be right back,” She promised, “I’ll call Sarah and let her know what’s going on.”

“Are you sure I shouldn’t call her?” Chuck asked.

“She’s going to probably panic worse than you did if only for the simple reason she isn’t here,” Ellie gave her younger brother a maternal smile, “She’ll probably have a lot of questions, all of which I can answer for her. I’ll have her call you as soon as I get off the phone with her.”

“Okay,” He nodded, “We’ll be right here when you get back.”

“You really should try to get a little more sleep,” Ellie instructed him, “I have a key, if you’re asleep, I’ll make sure Molly gets her medication and leave you a note with instructions on the dosage and dosage schedule.”

“You’re the best Elle,” Chuck smiled at his sister who was making her way out the door.

She turned back to him and gave him a wide smile, “What are big sisters and aunties for?” With that she exited the room and made her way out of the apartment. Ellie stopped at her town house to exchange her medical bag for her purse and to update Devon on what was going on before heading to the hospital.

~~~~~~~~~

As Ellie waited for the pharmacist to return with Molly’s prescription, she pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and scrolled through her contacts until she found Sarah’s number. The phone rang a few times before the sleepy voice of her brother’s girlfriend came over the line.

“_Ellie”_ Sarah was confused why Chuck’s sister was calling her at half past seven in the morning, DC time, “_Why are you calling so early? Is something wrong?”_

“First of all, don’t freak out. Chuck woke me up about an hour or so ago,” Ellie sighed, “Molly woke up with a high fever and had puked all over herself.” Before Sarah could speak again, she continued on, “I examined her, it’s the flu and she has an ear infection, too, which is making her miserable. Ear infections are pretty common when a baby is teething. I gave her some Motrin for the fever and I’m picking up medication for her ear right now.”

“_She’s allergic to sulfa_,” Sarah was sitting up in bed, trying her best to not panic as she held her phone to her ear, white knuckled.

“Chuck told me,” Ellie assured her, “Even before he double checked the info sheet you left him, he knew immediately when I asked. Molly is going to be okay, I’ll make sure Chuck takes her to the pediatrician in the morning just to follow up and double check my diagnosis.”

“_So, what do I do now? Do I need to come home on the next flight?_” Sarah checked, “_Because I can be dressed and to the airport in 30 minutes, less if I convince one of my pilot buddies to fly me home._”

“Sarah, stay where you are,” Ellie instructed, “Finish what you are doing out there, Chuck has this handled. He did the exact right thing and called me immediately when he realized how high Molly’s fever was. He knew it would be faster to have me come over than to rush her to the ER, although he has instructions to do just that, if her fever doesn’t come down soon.”

“_Okay_,” Sarah nodded, “_Thank you, Ellie. I really appreciate you taking care of both of them.”_

“It’s what I do,” Ellie assured her, “And at least I won’t charge you more than dinner for my services – this time. I’ll update you when I check on them this afternoon.” She noticed the pharmacist waiving a bag at her, “Oh, Molly’s medication is ready, I have to go. Give Chuck a call, then try to get a little more sleep, no reason for all of us to lose sleep right now.”

“_Alright,_” Sarah agreed, “_I’ll talk to you later, and I’ll see you when I get home in a couple days._”

“Sounds good,” Ellie smiled before bidding her not-quite sister-in-law adieu and hanging up. She thanked her friend behind the pharmacy counter and rushed off to the employee parking garage, the bag with Molly’s prescription clutched in her hand.

~~~~~~~~~

It didn’t take long for Ellie to exit the parking garage and drive back to the apartment complex where both she and her brother resided. Putting the car in park and walking through the courtyard, she gave a cursory knock on the door and let herself into her brother’s home. She found him asleep on the couch, Molly snuggled in his arms. Placing a hand on the little girl’s head, she breathed a sigh of relief that she didn’t feel as warm as she had just an hour before. She gently lifted the little girl into her arms so as to not wake her brother. Molly blinked up at her sleepily, the movement waking her slightly.

“Hey baby girl,” Ellie cooed, “I have some medicine that will help you feel better.” She set her purse and the bag with Molly’s medicine on the table and took a seat, resting Molly on her lap as she opened the bottle and measured out the correct dosage into a syringe. She watched Molly closely to make sure that the baby didn’t spit out the medication before lifting the little girl into her arms once more and laying her back on Chuck’s chest. She smiled softly as Chuck’s arm’s wrapped, instinctively, protectively, around the girl’s sleepy form.

Ellie ducked into the kitchen and found a notepad and a pen in the junk drawer scribbling out a note before putting Molly’s medication away and exiting the apartment, locking the door behind her. Chuck awoke an hour later, stretching slowly so as to not wake Molly. He eased himself up and, cradling Molly in his arms, carried her into her room and laid her down on her clean sheets before heading back into the kitchen. Spotting the note on the counter, he picked it up and read.

_Hey sleepy head,_

_ I gave Molly her medication already. Her next dose is due at 12 pm and then her last for the day will be at 7pm. Three doses a day, morning, mid-day, and before bed. The syringe is in the drying rack next to the sink and the dosage instructions are listed on the bottle, which is in the door of the fridge next to the jar of pickles, which are nearly expired, you should really get rid of those. I put some Pedialyte on the bottom shelf as well. I’ll check in on you this afternoon. If I haven’t told you lately, you’re doing really good at this Daddy thing and I’m proud of you._

_Love,_

_Ellie_

With a wry chuckle, he put the note down and opened the fridge. In the door, right where she said it would be was the bottle of medicine for Molly, and right next to it the jar of pickles. Chuck rolled his eyes as he lifted the jar from its place and checked the date. “Nearly expired, already expired, same difference,” He tossed the jar in the trash, “Well I should probably try to get a little more sleep before she is up again.” He sighed, shuffling down the hall once more. He ducked into Molly’s room to make sure that her monitor was on before continuing down the hall.

He stopped at the closet that held the washer and dryer to move Molly’s pajamas and sheets to the dryer and then continued onto his room. He checked that the volume on the receiver was turned up and flopped on his bed. He was just about to fall asleep when his phone went off.

“Are you kidding me right now?” He groaned and picked up the device, smiling slightly when he saw her picture on the screen, swiping to accept the call he held the phone to his ear, “Hey Sweetheart, how’s DC?”

“Boring without you and Molly,” Sarah admitted, “Reviewing depositions, preparing to testify, ugh, don’t get me started. I really wish I were home with you, or you were here with me, I could really use some us time right now.”

“You and me both,” Chuck admitted, “Molly got sick last night.”

“I know,” Sarah nodded, leaning back on her headboard, “Ellie told me, don’t worry she told me that she told you to let her call me first. Thank you for letting her do that, not that I didn’t want you to tell me that Molly was sick, but Ellie was able to put my mind at ease about still being out here. I’m glad you have her nearby, it makes it a little easier to be so far away the first time Molly got sick.”

“I’m going to call her pediatrician’s service a little later to see if they can’t squeeze Molly in tomorrow,” Chuck ran his fingers through his hair as he checked the receiver, glad to see Molly still sleeping, “I’ll also call Brody and Lewis and let them know that I will be working from home tomorrow. I can video conference in for the meeting with Mister Jameson. He’s a father himself so hopefully he’ll understand the whole ‘my kid is sick and her mom’s out of town’ thing.”

“I’m sure he will,” Sarah assured him, “Do you still need to work on the presentation?”

“Nah, I finished it up on Friday between playing with Molly and hanging out, eating left overs with the Awesomes,” Chuck shrugged, “I should be good to go for the meeting.”

“Good,” Sarah nodded, standing and crossing to the bathroom, “Well, I have a little more to review before the hearing starts tomorrow and I haven’t yet gotten out of bed, I probably should go shower and start my day.”

“I wish I was there with you,” Chuck sighed, his weary smile turning impish momentarily, “If only to help you wash your back… and other more pleasant areas. Maybe more than once if they so happened to get dirty again.”

“You’re incorrigible,” Sarah snickered, turning on the faucet in the tub, “You really should get some more sleep.”

“I was going to, but then someone woke me up,” Chuck teased.

“Well, I’m going to let you go now,” Sarah pulled the knob to activate the shower head.

“Wait, before you go,” Chuck grinned, “What are you wearing?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She teased.

“Oh, I so very much would,” Chuck nearly purred over the line.

“Well, at the moment, just enough to keep you interested,” She hummed, “But as soon as I hang up it will be nothing but me and the water.”

“Don’t you want to know what I’m wearing?” Chuck grinned.

“That’s easy, a smile and nothing but,” Sarah laughed.

“Only for you, Baby,” Chuck beamed, “I’ll see you in a few days and maybe we can do something about adding to the shower situation, and the bed situation, oh and maybe enjoy a clothing optional situation.”

“Only if you promise to go deal with your lack of sleep situation right now,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Chuck’s voice dropped low, “I shall fall asleep with you on my mind.”

“Good night, Chuck,” Sarah sighed.

“Have a good day, Sarah,” Chuck smiled softly, “Come home soon.”

“On the first transport I can,” Sarah promised and they both disconnected. She stepped into the shower and laid her head against the tile as the water rushed over her, tears running down her face. She didn’t know if it was tears for how much she loved and missed Chuck, tears of frustration for being so far away from Molly when she wasn’t feeling well, tears of exhaustion due to not being able to sleep well since she left Burbank, or some combination of everything. One thing was for certain, she couldn’t wait until this trip was over and she could be back in the loving arms of her family.

Chuck sighed as he set his phone back on its charger and slipped under the covers once more to get some sleep before Molly woke again. As he had promised, he fell asleep with Sarah on his mind, or more specifically the future, both immediate and distant, he planned to have with her. It may very well have included a house in the suburbs, a dog, and a curly headed child who looked remarkably like himself. So, he slept, a soft smile on his lips and hope in his heart.


	16. Chapter 16

Ellie hadn’t heard from her brother since that morning and now that she’d gotten a little more rest, and her own daughter was now napping, she thought it would be a good time to check up on Chuck and Molly. She crossed the courtyard and knocked on her brother’s door but received no response. She pulled out her keys and quietly disengaged the lock. “Chuck?” She called out as she stepped into the living room, the smell of fresh vomit wafted from the hall and she went down to Molly’s room to find her sheets once again covered in puke. “Poor little girl,” She sighed, pulling the sheets from the bed and tossing them in the washing machine. She grabbed cleaning supplies from the kitchen and washed down the vinyl-covered mattress before returning to the dryer and, pulling the set of now clean sheets from that morning out, she proceeded to make the bed.

Just as she was returning to the living room, she ran into her brother. He wore a pair of sweatpants but no shirt, his hair was damp and starting to curl around his ears indicating that it was nearly time for him to have it cut again. In his arms, he held a towel-swaddled Molly. “Hey Elle,” He gave her a small smile, “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I changed Molly’s sheets, her dirty ones are in the washer,” Ellie let him know.

“Thanks,” Chuck nodded, “I had gotten her to take a little bit of a bottle and some Pedialyte before putting her down for another nap, but apparently she’s still having a hard time keeping anything down. She woke up and threw up again, and then when I was getting ready to clean her up, she threw up on me, so I figured a shower would be good for both of us.”

“Chuck, you don’t have to explain,” Ellie shook her head, “Devon and I have both done the same with Clara at one point or another either due to her getting sick all over herself or us or had some kind of massive diaper explosion. I just stopped by to check up on the patient and see how you were holding up.”

“I’m doing okay, I think,” Chuck shrugged, “I got her to take her mid-day dose for her ears just fine, her temperature is still a little high, but not dangerously so any more and I made sure to give her a little more Motrin to keep it that way. I’ve just been trying to sleep when she does, but she’s only sleeping for a couple hours at a time right now.”

“Well you missed the newborn stage, so consider this your crash course,” Ellie gave him a less than sympathetic smile, “Or practice for the next time around.”

“’Next time around?’” Chuck looked at her wide eyed, “Do you know something I don’t? Sarah’s on the pill, and we usually use condoms too, but it’s still possible. I mean, I know that nothing is 100%, but…”

“Chuck!” Ellie laughed, “Calm down, you’re spiraling. I don’t know anything, and I’m sure I would not be the first person told if there was anything to know. I just meant that someday you and Sarah might want to add to this little family you have started.”

“Right, you’re right,” Chuck sighed, “Sorry, just have a lot on my mind lately between work and Molly getting sick, Sarah being on her business trip…”

“I know,” Ellie patted his shoulder, “Why don’t you go get her dressed and I’ll give her another check-up to see how she’s doing.”

“Okay,” Chuck nodded and ducked into Molly’s room. As he diapered her and put a fresh pair of pajamas on her, Ellie followed him in. Once Molly had been taken care of, he stepped aside and let Ellie start her examination, “I’m gonna take her other pajamas and drop them in the wash with her sheets.”

Ellie turned her focus to the baby as her brother gathered the soiled items from the hamper and exited the room, “Okay, little girl, let Auntie Ellie take another look at you.” She quickly took the baby’s temperature and checked her ears again. She was relieved to find that the baby’s temperature had dropped significantly, her ears were still red, but she knew that no improvement would have been found yet, she just wanted to make sure that she hadn’t missed anything. “Okay Punkin, looks like your Daddy was right about your fever going down, that’s good.” She lifted the infant into her arms, “Let’s go find that brother of mine and see what he’s up to.”

Ellie went down the hall toward the machines, but her brother wasn’t there, nor was he in his room. They made their way back toward Molly’s room and heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Snuggling Molly closer to her chest, Ellie continued down the hall, finding Chuck in the kitchen making coffee. “What are you up to?”

“Well I haven’t gotten a lot of sleep since Sarah left. Between work and now Molly being sick, I needed a little pick me up.” Chuck shrugged, pouring a cup for himself before sending an inquisitive look to his sister who just shook her head. He nodded and lifted the mug to his lips taking a drink of the dark liquid.

“Would it help if we took Molly for a few hours, so you can try to get a little sleep or put some time into whatever it is you are working on?” Ellie offered.

“No,” Chuck shook his head, “That’s okay, there’s only a little ironing out of details to do for the presentation which I can do in my sleep, literally, and Molly was doing better until she threw up again. Besides I don’t want her to get Clara, you, or Devon sick.”

“She’s not contagious anymore,” Ellie shook her head, “Devon and I had to get flu shots for work and Clara got one too while we were at it. It really is no trouble, we want to help you out.”

“Fine,” Chuck sighed, “I suppose I could let you take her until say six? I can get some work done, disinfect the apartment, set her doctor’s appointment. I keep forgetting to call the service.”

“Then it’s settled,” Ellie turned on her heel and headed into Molly’s room. She laid the baby in her crib and quickly grabbed the diaper bag along with a change of pajamas and diapers. She lifted Molly’s lavender and grey striped blanket from the glider and wrapped Molly up in it before heading back to the living room where Chuck waited.

“Okay, Sweet Pea,” Chuck lifted the girl from his sister’s arms and snuggled her to his chest, “You be good for Auntie Ellie and Uncle Devon, they’re gonna take care of you for a little bit.” He turned back to his sister, “I’ll come over a little later to get her.”

“Take your time, try to get some sleep too.” Ellie instructed, “I love you, little brother.”

“I love you too, big sis,” Chuck gave her a half smile and followed her to the door. He kissed Molly on the head before handing her back over to his sister and watching them walk back across the courtyard to Ellie’s apartment. Chuck stood in his doorway for a moment longer and turned back to the living room. He’d never noticed how empty the apartment felt before Sarah and Molly had moved in, but it was now hitting him like a ton of bricks, “Okay Chuck, refocus, what first?” He thought a moment before grabbing cleaning supplies and disinfecting every surface and handle in the entire apartment. He switched over the laundry before ducking into his room and grabbing his laptop to get some work done.

Once his computer booted up, he opened up the presentation he had been working on and was about to start in on it when he noticed a flashing icon on his tool bar. When the CIA had been unsuccessful in contacting Orion, Chuck decided he would try to contact the illusive engineer himself. Clicking on the search he’d started, he checked it for updates, seems some progress had been made, he’d encoded the search to automatically weed out false leads, which would help narrow down not only the best way to contact him, but also where to physically locate Orion by triangulating the patterns found in the origins of previous transmissions from Orion. It seemed that Orion might be in the far east, but the man had been successful in masking his true location and identity for years, only a select few knew who he was.

Satisfied with the information that had thus far been able to be gleaned from the search, he added a few more parameters and continued the search before turning back to his work project. Like he’d told Sarah and Ellie, there was just a few details to iron out from the presentation. Once that was done, he emailed Lewis and Brody the finalized presentation as well as informed them that he would be working from home and would teleconference in for the meeting. Once that was taken care of, he called the service for Molly’s pediatrician and set an appointment for first thing the next day. Since the meeting at work wasn’t until 11:00, the 8 am appointment would allow for enough time for the doctor to examine the baby and for Chuck to get home and get Molly settled while he worked.

Chuck checked the clock and saw he had a little bit until he said he would pick Molly up from Ellie’s, so he decided to get a little nap. As soon as he’d closed his eyes, he heard his laptop chime. “I just can’t get a break!” He groaned, sitting up and opened the laptop once more expecting to see an alert that he’d received a response from Brody or Lewis regarding the meeting the next day, instead what he found was a series of alphanumeric characters and symbols cascading green over a black background, “Very Matrix, yes you hacked the hacker, real funny guys,” He muttered under his breath.

“I heard you were looking for me,” Came a digitized voice. When Chuck looked at the screen, he could make out the faint outline of a face wearing sunglasses. It looked to be masculine in feature, but he couldn’t make out any defining features.

“Who are you?” Chuck cocked his head to the side as an image came up on the screen causing him to flash, “Orion.”

“Yes,” The voice came again, “And you are the Intersect. This is not something I wanted for you, I had Omaha shut down for that very reason, yet you still became the Intersect.”

“_You_ shut down Omaha?” Chuck raised an eyebrow, “How did you manage that?”

“Simple,” Orion responded, “I created it, the Intersect, or at least the really cool parts, when I realized what the government was planning to do with it, I made them shut it down. I guess they didn’t listen.”

“What do you mean ‘What the government was planning to do with it?’” Chuck sat forward.

“The program was never meant to be completely downloaded into a person’s brain,” Orion explained, “It was shown to overload the host’s brain, cause psychosis, and dementia-like symptoms. Not to mention migraines, nosebleeds, and so on; in short, it wasn’t good.”

“Really?” Chuck questioned, “I mean yeah, I had a bit of a headache after downloading the Intersect, but it was no worse than a mild hang-over. I got some headaches at first, but those have since dissipated, I’ve not experienced anything more than that since.”

“Then you are either really lucky, or it’s taking you longer than the original test subjects to succumb,” Orion replied. “How did you come to download it in the first place if you believed that the project had been shuttered?”

“One of the other analysts from the program sent it to me,” Chuck shrugged, “He was a friend, we were roommates in college, rushed together, I considered him one of my best friends even after we went our separate ways after Omaha. He sent me a message referencing a game we’d developed back then, I thought it was his way of wishing me a happy birthday. I responded to the prompt and next thing I knew, I was laid out on my floor as if I’d passed out drunk, my computer was completely fried.”

“So, you didn’t volunteer for this,” Orion posited.

“No,” Chuck shook his head.

“Would you like me to try to remove it?” The computerized voice offered.

“All due respect, sir,” Chuck shook his head, “No, I think I’ll stick with it for now. But is there a way to contact you if I start to feel the side affects you mentioned?”

“I…” Orion was interrupted by a knock on Chuck’s door.

“Excuse me,” Chuck gave the other man a humble smile before half closing the laptop screen and rising to answer the door. Opening it, he found Ellie, a sleeping Molly in her arms. “Hey, is it that time already?”

“It is,” She nodded, “I tried to keep her up for her last dosage, but she passed out. This flu is wiping her out on top of everything.”

“Aww, Sweet Pea,” Chuck cooed, pulling the girl into his arms, “Should I wake her for her last dosage or wait for her to wake up on her own?”

“Let her wake up on her own and then give her meds to her,” Ellie advised, “She fell asleep an hour or so ago, so she’ll probably wake up soon if the pattern you told me about from earlier today holds true. Make sure you give her both the amoxicillin and the Motrin.”

“I will, thanks, Elle,” Chuck gave his older sister a hug and closed the door. He quickly walked down the hall and laid Molly in her crib before pulling up the monitor app on his phone and returning to the living room. “Sorry about that.”

“You have a child?” Orion sounded surprised, “Your file didn’t mention that.”

“Yes, I do,” Chuck nodded, his voice indicating that he did not feel it was any of the other man’s business.

“I know it’s hard being with the Company and raising children,” Orion commented, “You may not believe this, but I’m a father too. I admit, I’ve made many mistakes, but everything I’ve done and everything I do is motivated by my desire to protect them, sometimes in spite of themselves. Despite my shortcomings, they grew up to be exceptional adults whom I am proud of, even if I may not always agree with their choices. My daughter suffered from chronic ear infections too, I hoped my grandchildren wouldn’t suffer the same fate.”

“How did you?” Chuck started.

“I heard the woman, Elle, mention your daughter’s medication,” Orion provided, “I’m very familiar with it. If she still gets them when she’s older, laying the affected ear on a damp, warm, rag can help to soothe the ache.”

“Orion, can we please get back on topic here?” Chuck interjected, “I doubt you called me to discuss home remedies for childhood ailments.”

“As you wish,” Orion nodded, “If you do not wish to have the Intersect removed, there is a piece of wearable tech that I can send you. I call it the governor, as it helps to regulate the electrical impulses in your brain so as to reduce the chance of your brain short circuiting. Would you be interested?”

“I’m willing to give it a shot,” Chuck shrugged, “But back to my original question; if I later change my mind and wish to, for lack of a better term, uninstall the Intersect, is there a way to contact you?”

“No,” Orion shook his head, “However, once you have the governor, it will send me an alert if your system is negatively reacting to the Intersect technology.”

“I guess I can live with that,” Chuck shrugged, “Not that I have much of a choice. Would you mind…” Molly began to cry from her room. “Sorry,” Chuck lifted his phone to see Molly sitting in her crib sobbing. He went to pick up the little girl, once he got her medications in her and warmed her bottle, he settled back on the couch to feed the little girl and finish his conversation.

“The job of a father never ends,” Orion chuckled good naturedly, “Where were we?”

“Wearable tech,” Chuck supplied, “Namely what you are offering to send me.”

“It will take me a little bit, maybe a week to construct it,” Orion explained, “Which means it should arrive to you within two. It will look like one of the com-watches provided to all agents in the company, so it won’t stand out.”

“I appreciate you doing that, considering you already made and replaced several custom systems for me,” Chuck started, “Especially since the original one you sent me was fried when I received the intersect download.”

“I heard about that,” Orion nodded “I trust the replacements, as well as the one sent to your office are sufficient replacements? Any other special requests? A pen that shoots lasers, perhaps?”

“No, I think the computers and the new watch are more than enough,” Chuck shook his head, “Thank you.”

“Take care of yourself, and your family, Charles,” Orion nodded and then ended the connection.

Something about the interaction was bothering him, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what. Something about how Orion spoke to him, offered advice, seemed to be able to predict his needs, and wanting to protect him, was familiar like a memory from the distant past. Shaking his head from his reverie, he noticed Molly had finished her bottle and was dozing in his arms. “Okay, Sweet Pea, I think it’s time we both get some more sleep.”

He slowly rose to his feet, and walked back toward the kitchen, dropping the bottle in the sink before continuing to Molly’s room. He had started to lay her in her bed when she began to fuss. Chuck lifted her back into his arms and settled himself in the glider and sang to the little girl as he rocked her back to sleep. He was so focused on the baby that he didn’t notice the flicker of the indicator light on the baby monitor’s camera as the broadcast feed was accessed by a third party. Chuck was blissfully unaware that he was being monitored as he gently cared for his daughter.

“Aces, Charles, you’re aces.”


	17. Chapter 17

It had already been a difficult morning in the Bartowski home. Molly was still not sleeping through the night, although, much to the relief of Chuck, she hadn’t thrown up again in the past 10 hours. Molly had been already fussing when Chuck put her back in her crib after her morning bottle, so he could get a shower, and was outright screaming by the time he had turned off the water. He had quickly dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a red button down before returning to Molly’s room to get her dressed. He found a pair of grey leggings and a purple long-sleeved tee in her dresser and quickly changed her. Lifting the girl into his arms, he opened the top drawer and pulled out a pair of white and purple socks styled to look like all-stars. He then ducked into his room and grabbed his own socks and shoes and went to sit on the couch. He put Molly in her bouncer and slid her socks over her feet before pulling on his own socks and shoes.

A few moments later had him pulling her jacket around her, slipping on his own, and grabbing the diaper bag before lifting Molly into his arms and heading out the door. As she usually did, she fussed a bit when he put her in her car seat but quieted when he spoke to her softly. The drive to the medical center where Molly’s pediatrician had her office didn’t take long, and soon he was pulling her from the car and ascending the steps to the second-floor office.

“Maybe we can see Auntie Ellie or Uncle Devon before we go home,” Chuck whispered to the little girl as they sat in the waiting area for her name to be called, “Would you like that Sweet Pea?”

The little girl had no reaction but to snuggle closer into his chest, “I know you aren’t feeling good, but hopefully we can get you feeling a little better soon.”

“Molly Novak?” The nurse called from one of the doors leading to the exam rooms.

“Right here,” Chuck responded, lifting Molly back into his arms and standing to his full height to follow the nurse back.

“We’re in here,” The older woman indicated a room with a small bed, a baby scale, and other medical instruments. The walls were decorated with colorful characters from children’s movies, this one seemed to have a Winnie the Pooh theme. “You can just take a seat there for now,” The nurse indicated the doctor’s stool near the foot of the exam table when she caught Chuck standing awkwardly not knowing if he should sit on the exam table with Molly in his arms or not. “Let me guess, Mommy usually brings her in?”

“Yeah, her mom’s out of town,” Chuck smiled sheepishly.

The nurse nodded as she quickly took Molly’s temperature and while she was recording the result onto the tablet in her hand, she instructed Chuck to strip Molly down to her diaper. “So, what brings Miss Molly in today?” She asked as she picked Molly up and laid her on the scale and then measuring the girl’s length with a tape measure, recording both in the file on her tablet before handing Molly back to Chuck.

“Molly woke up in the middle of the night yesterday puking and miserable,” Chuck explained, “When I took her temperature, it was scary high. Thankfully my sister and brother-in-law are both doctors and live in the same apartment complex as we do. I got a hold of them and my sister came and examined her. She thinks that Molly has a bit of the flu, as it’s been going around her daycare and she was too little to get her flu shot this year and might have an ear infection too. She prescribed Amoxicillin for her ears and Motrin for the fever. Molly’s fever dropped pretty quickly after that, but she’s been hovering around the 100 mark since about 8am yesterday.”

“Okay,” The nurse nodded, noting the information in Molly’s file, “Any allergies we need to be aware of?”

“She’s allergic to Sulfa,” Chuck responded, cradling Molly in his arms.

“Okay, that’s all I need for now,” The nurse smiled, “Dr. Clarke will be here in a little bit.”

“Thank you,” Chuck nodded and pulled Molly’s blanket from the diaper bag, wrapping it around her as he took a seat in one of the average sized chairs near the counter.

They weren’t waiting more than five minutes when a quick rap on the door sounded, “Is everybody decent?” Came the chipper voice as a woman a few years older than Chuck opened the door, “Oh, well we know _you_ aren’t decent, Chuck Bartowski.”

“You wound me, Mel,” Chuck teased.

“What are you doing here?” Melanie Clarke inquired, looking from him to the baby in his arms, “I don’t recall you having a child. And you are certainly too old for me to treat.”

“I brought Molly in,” Chuck gave the older woman a sad smile, “She hasn’t been feeling well. She was throwing up all day yesterday and Ellie said that she might have an ear infection.”

“Aww, poor Pookie,” Mel cooed, “Sit her up, let me check her ear for critters.”

“Alright,” It took a little bit for Chuck to get Molly who had gotten clingy in her illness, to sit forward on his lap so the doctor could examine her, “Sorry, she’s a bit of a daddy’s girl when she’s not feeling well or tired.”

‘“Daddy?’” Melanie looked up surprised from where she was grabbing the otoscope that was mounted to the wall, “Since when?”

“Nothing official, at least not yet,” Chuck shrugged, “I’m dating her mom, Sarah. With her being out of town, I’m the designated guardian for Molly.”

“Ah, gotcha,” Dr. Clarke nodded lowering her head so she could look through the device into the little girl’s ears, “I thought Sarah and Ellie were just friends. I mean, Sarah has mentioned her wonderful, handsome, boyfriend who is so great with her child, I just never realized it was you.”

“Gee thanks,” Chuck rolled his eyes, “Glad to know how you really feel about me.”

“Please, you don’t need me telling you how devastatingly handsome you are,” Melanie chuckled, “Even if you are a little too young for me.”

“Not to mention you are a little too married,” Chuck grinned as Melanie continued her examination checking Molly’s respiratory system to be sure that the flu she had, hadn’t started turning into pneumonia, “So what’s the prognosis, Doc, she gonna live?”

“She’ll live,” Dr. Clarke confirmed, “Your sister’s diagnosis was correct, she has an ear infection. As for the flu, there’s really not much I can do other than say keep her well hydrated, give her Motrin for the fever, and let it run its course. If she’s able to keep formula and Pedialyte down for more than 12 hours, slowly start reintroducing loose cereal, which basically means more formula than you would normally use for her cereal.”

“Alright,” Chuck nodded, “Anything else?”

“No, not at the moment,” Melanie shook her head, “You can get her dressed now. Remind Sarah to schedule Molly’s nine-month exam.”

“Will do,” Chuck nodded, “Thanks, Mel.”

“Just doing my job,” Melanie gave him a dazzling smile as she headed toward the door. Opening it, she turned back to him watching as he gently guided Molly into her outfit once more, “You know, daddy looks good on you.”

“You sound like Ellie,” Chuck laughed.

“She’s not wrong,” Melanie shrugged and closed the door behind her.

Chuck smiled and shook his head good-naturedly as he continued to dress the little girl. Once Molly was once again in her outfit, Chuck lifted her into his arms and, looping the diaper bag over his shoulder, left the room. He stopped briefly by the nurses’ station to make sure there wasn’t anything else that was needed of him before leaving the office completely. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit the speed dial for Ellie who picked up after a couple rings.

“_Hey, Chuck,_” Ellie’s voice rang through the phone.

“Hey, sis,” Chuck smiled, “We just finished seeing Mel and I was wondering if you had time for us to stop by for a quick visit.”

Chuck heard some murmuring in the back ground that sounded suspiciously like his brother-in-law before his sister spoke again, “_Yeah, that would be fine. Devon is here too. How is Molly feeling?”_

“Still a little fussy, but she hasn’t thrown up since last night, so I think some progress has been made.” Chuck shrugged, hitting a button on the elevator call panel. “Hey, I’m getting on the elevator now, we should be there in a few minutes.”

“_See you soon,” _Ellie responded before they disconnected.

Ellie was sitting at her desk, chatting with Devon, who was leaning against the desk, when they heard a knock on her office door. “Come in,” she called out, smiling as the door swung open to reveal her brother, Molly in his arms. “What did Mel say?”

“You were right,” Chuck shrugged, taking a seat in one of the chairs across from his sister’s desk and dropping Molly’s diaper bag in the other chair, “How has your day been?”

“Kind of quiet,” Ellie smiled, “No head traumas in the ER so I’ve been able to focus on my research, so that’s been nice. I took a lunch break about the time you called, so I have a little time.”

“I have a surgery scheduled in about an hour, so I only have a few more minutes,” Devon added.

“Yeah, I have a meeting this afternoon,” Chuck nodded, “There’s a presentation at work for today, but with Molly sick, I don’t feel comfortable sending Molly to daycare, so I’m conferencing in instead. Luckily, the client is a parent himself, so I’m hoping he’ll understand.”

“I’m sure he will, Bro,” Awesome nodded, checking his watch, “It’s that time, I’ll see you at home, Babe.” He kissed Ellie then turned toward Chuck and Molly, “I’ll see ya around, Chuck. I hope Molly feels better.” He ran his hand over the little girl’s blonde curls.

“Thanks, Devon,” Chuck smiled up at his brother-in-law, “Good luck on the surgery.”

“Thanks,” Devon grinned and ducked out of the office.

“So, cafeteria?” Ellie suggested, “Molly isn’t contagious anymore.”

“Sounds good, Elle.” Chuck nodded and followed his sister out the door.

~~~~~~~~~

Sarah’s work in DC was finally finished, and she was free to come home. After a long day of travel, she finally arrived at the Burbank Airport and hopped in a cab to take her home. She was relieved that she was finally done with any loose ends in DC and had no more impending travel plans. More than anything she was excited to see her daughter and boyfriend. She quickly paid the driver and, pulling her bags behind her, made her way across the courtyard to her apartment.

“Brody, you’re the man!” She heard her boyfriend enthuse as she disengaged the lock on the front door, “Send the specs to Graham and go home. I should be back in the office tomorrow… uh huh, yea, I really appreciated you stepping up while Sarah and I were out of the office… Yeah, she should be back soon, within the next couple days…” She slipped in behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, kissing his neck causing Chuck to startle and turn to face her, “Ah! Sarah?! Brody, I’ll see you tomorrow, Sarah just got home.” Without even waiting for a response, he disconnected the call and pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply.

“So, I guess we’ve thrown out the whole ‘keeping the relationship under wraps at work’ thing?” Sarah teased, pressing another soft kiss to her boyfriend’s lips.

“Well they all kind of figured it out when you went out of town and I was out of the office taking care of Molly.” Chuck shrugged, “I made it clear to them that any and all inter-office relationships should be kept on the DL from Graham.”

“Okay,” Sarah nodded, “How is Molly doing?”

“Much better,” Chuck grinned, “She still plays with her ear here and there, so it’s still bothering her a little, but her flu is nearly gone at least.”

“Good to know,” Sarah smiled, “Is she still down for her nap?”

A cry interrupted what Chuck was going to say, “I guess that answers my question,” Sarah chuckled, “Did she go down late?”

“No,” Chuck shook his head, “Normal time, but with the flu and her ear infection, I thought it would be best to let her sleep as much as she needed since Ellie said that she needed rest. She’s back on cereal and formula at the regular times and amounts and slept nearly through the night yesterday.”

“Look at you, Superdad,” Sarah teased as they made their way towards Molly’s room, “You seem to have it all handled.”

“I had copious amounts of help from the Doctors Awesome,” Chuck shrugged humbly, “Not to mention that Josie, Brody, and Lewis took over the office to keep things running smoothly in our absence, conferencing with me for meetings that required my presence.”

Sarah nodded her understanding as she slowly opened the door to her daughter’s room. As soon as the little girl saw her, she let out a delighted squeal and lifted her arms in a silent plea to be picked up. “Oh, Baby Girl, I missed you so much!” Sarah snuggled the girl to her chest, “Mommy’s never leaving you again.” She heard Chuck clear his throat, “Or at least for so long, if I can help it.”

“If you want to check her diaper, I can go start her bottle,” Chuck suggested, “She’s probably hungry or will be soon.”

“You just don’t want to be on diaper duty,” Sarah pointed out.

“Can you blame me?” Chuck raised and eyebrow, “I was dealing with both ends there for a while.”

“I suppose you have a point,” Sarah rolled her eyes good naturedly as she carried her daughter to the changing table and began the process of cleaning and re-diapering the infant. By the time she had finished cleaning Molly up and brought her into the kitchen, Chuck was testing the bottle against his wrist to check the temperature.

“Would you like to do the honors?” Chuck asked offering the bottle to his girlfriend.

“Thank you,” Sarah gave him a warm smile as she accepted the bottle and walked over to the couch, settling on one side so the arm of the couch would support her arm as she held the little girl, “Okay, Sweetheart, open up; it’s dinner time.”

Chuck was once again struck by what a beautiful picture the two made. The two sets of blue eyes locked on one another, a soft smile on the mother’s lips as the daughter drank greedily from her bottle, one small hand wrapped around the pinky of the hand holding the bottle. The position that Sarah held Molly in for her feeding made it easy for Chuck to imagine her holding another infant in the same manner, but using what God gave her rather than a bottle to nourish their child. The thought of them having a child together should have scared him. Maybe it was how comfortable having them around had become, or maybe it was sharing in the care and feeding of one Molly Walker, but the wariness and fear were slowly turning to a not-so-distant longing and desire to be more than just the boyfriend of the mother.

“We missed you,” Chuck spoke softly, settling on the couch next to Sarah, easing his arm around her shoulders while his other hand caressed the feet of the infant who was nearly half-done with her evening bottle.

“I missed you both,” Sarah breathed out, “So much. I can’t tell you how many times I curled up to one of the spare pillows in my hotel room wishing that it was really you that I was snuggling up against. I never realized how empty my arms could feel without Molly in them, or at the very least close by. I wanted so badly to finish quickly so that I could come home sooner, but it was almost as if the lawyers took pleasure in drawing the deposition out and preventing me from returning home.”

“Well it’s over and you’re home now,” Chuck assured her, pressing a soft kiss to her temple, “Which means that we can begin to decorate for Christmas now.”

“Christmas?” Sarah looked up at him, “I don’t know. I don’t really do Christmas.”

“What do you mean you ‘don’t do Christmas?’” Chuck challenged, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Well,” Sarah hedged, “My father was a con man until Graham arrested him. For me, growing up, Christmas meant the annual Salvation Army Con Job.”

“I know just the thing to break you of that,” Chuck smiled confidently, “Staying in your pajamas all day, opening presents, sipping eggnog and mimosas all day while we watch our way through a Twilight Zone marathon. You will be heart warmed whether you like it or not.”

“Oh really,” Sarah chuckled, “You really think so?”

“Oh, I know so, Miss Walker,” Chuck growled in her ear, “I’ll start hanging the lights this weekend with Awesome, you don’t have to lift a finger. We have a tradition of going to a tree farm and cutting down our trees, so we’ll get our tree about a week or two before Christmas, that way we don’t have to deal with the tree dropping massive amounts of needles.”

“You cut down your own tree, huh?” Sarah teased, “That’s some thing I have to see.”

“We will probably caravan it, the Awesomes in the dad-van that Devon insisted on getting when they first found out about Clara and us in the SUV.” Chuck explained, “Once we get home, we’ll get the trees set up in their stands and begin the process of decorating it. After that, we can start putting the presents under the tree.”

“You make it sound so fun,” Sarah mused.

“It is very fun,” Chuck assured her, “Especially when we are able to do it as a family. We’ll probably wind up going between the apartments to decorate both trees. Ellie will make cookies and other holiday treats, I think she mentioned wanting to try a fudge recipe one of the nurses at the hospital gave her this year.”

“You’re making me hungry, Chuck,” Sarah smiled.

“I’ll order some dinner,” Chuck pulled a phone from his pocket, “Pizza?”

“Yeah, vegetarian,” Sarah began.

“No olives,” They finished together, laughing as the phone rang. Once the pizza place answered, Chuck gave them their order and informed Sarah the pizza would arrive within the hour. Sarah blushed as her stomach growled at the news. As they waited, Molly finished her bottle and was sat up to be burped, which she did loudly.

“Excuse you,” Chuck joked, “Such manners on a young lady.”

Sarah simply rolled her eyes and cuddled her daughter close, reveling in the peace that being home brought her. Her peace was soon shattered by a knock at the door as the pizza guy arrived and handed over the order. She watched as Chuck carried the box into the kitchen only to return moments later, two plates with a couple slices each balanced on one arm while he carried a couple bottles of beers in his other hand.

“Dinner is served,” He announced with a flourish as he set down the plate and popped open the tops of the beer bottles with the opener attached to the pocket knife he’d been given as a cub scout by his father and never went anywhere without, “Bon Appetite!”

The adults clinked the necks of their beers together and ate their dinner as Molly relaxed in her mother’s arms. An hour later they were watching the news when Chuck’s watch chimed.

“What is that?” Sarah inquired.

“Timer,” Chuck shrugged as he stood once more and went into the kitchen, plates in hand. He returned a few moment later a syringe filled with a pink liquid in one hand and a small washcloth in the other, “It’s time for Molly’s medicine for her ears. She hates the stuff, but luckily she only has to take it a couple more days.”

Sarah watched as he slipped the open end of the tube in the little girl’s mouth and depressed the plunger, wiping away any dribble from the girl’s chin with the washcloth. Sarah couldn’t help but smile at the grimace on her daughter’s face when taking the medication.

“Ellie told me the hospital’s pharmacy didn’t have the bubble gum flavored version in stock like they would at most pharmacies,” Chuck shrugged as he took the syringe back to the kitchen and began to clean it and the dishes from dinner, “So if she has to take it again, we know that’s an option.”

“Good to know,” Sarah nodded settling back into the couch, Molly snuggled into her chest. Before long, Molly was, once more, fast asleep in her mother’s arms. While Sarah put her down in her crib, Chuck made quick work of taking Sarah’s suitcase into their room and setting it on her dresser to be sorted and unpacked.


	18. Chapter 18

“Remind me again why we are stopping at the Buy More?” Ellie rolled her eyes, not enjoying the idea of dealing with Morgan especially in light of the confrontation that had occurred between her brother and his life-long best friend. “I thought you and Morgan were giving yourselves distance from each other for a while.”

“We are,” Chuck acknowledged, “But I thought it would be a good idea to have the girls get their pictures done with Santa Big Mike. Besides Morgan will be busy actually running the store since Big Mike will be in Santa’s Village all day.”

“I think it’s an awesome idea,” Devon piped up, “Come on, Babe you were saying the other day that you would like a picture of Clara sitting on Santa’s lap.”

“I want one for Molly too,” Sarah agreed, “Maybe we can get one with the two of them together.”

“Okay, fine,” Ellie gave in, knowing she was defeated.

Luckily for the family, the line to see Santa wasn’t very long as most of the residents of the area opted to see one of the Santas present at the multitude of malls and other shopping centers in the Greater LA Area. Morgan had seen them enter the store and had respectfully stayed his distance as per his friend’s request. Both men missed each other desperately and were looking forward to getting back together at the end of their trial separation.

“Welcome to Buy More,” Lester droned, “Charles! What are you doing here? Last I heard you had left us to start your own tech firm. You think you’re better than us?”

“Lester, that was five years ago,” Chuck pointed out, “And this was just a summer job for me when I was in college. You really need to get over it, and it’s not a tech firm, it’s a cyber security firm. The same one, I might add, that protects this store and its customers.”

“Well you’re not doing a very good job,” Lester scoffed, “Several of our display computers went down a couple months ago, fried and completely useless.”

“I think that had more to do with the dirty Uncles Jeffster and their relationship with one Irene Dimova, than any real breach in the security network of the store,” Chuck gave him a knowing look.

“Chuck, I see you brought your harem with you,” Jeff’s leering gaze went from Ellie to Sarah and back again. You take the blonde, I’ll take the brunette.”

“Jeff, we are going to give that _very unwanted_ suggestion a hard pass,” Chuck rolled his eyes as he steered his family around the smarmy service technicians.

“Oh, Dear Lord!” They heard Lester cry out bitterly, “You reproduced! Not only did you heartlessly leave our noble rank and file, but you debased yourself and left the realm of bachelorhood.”

“Lester!” Morgan called from across the store and pointed toward the ‘Employees Only’ labeled door, “Cage, now, and take Jeff with you. You’re disturbing the customers.”

“It’s just Chuck,” Lester protested.

“Now, Lester,” Morgan commanded. Lester looked like he might protest again, but one raised eyebrow of the diminutive Ass Man, sent him scurrying away, taking his offensive other half with him.

“Wow,” Ellie watched the interaction, impressed, “He really is turning into a grown up, I never thought I’d live to see the day.”

“No faith in the little bearded man,” Chuck scoffed in defense of his friend.

“What is it about short people in leadership roles?” Sarah whispered, “General Beckman is the same way.”

“I think it has something to do with knowing they have to demand rather than request respect,” Chuck shrugged, “Otherwise no one is liable to take them seriously.”

“Good point,” Sarah conceded as they got in line at Santa’s Village. Since both girls were still too young to really grasp the concept of sitting on Santa’s lap, the pictures were over in three quick shots, one of each of the girls alone and then one of the two together with a jovial, white-bearded Big Mike.

“Bartowski,” Big Mike called his name as Ellie and Sarah collected the girls, “Family man now? I’m proud of you, Son. You have a beautiful woman who obviously adores you and a precious little girl who is the spitting image of the both of you.”

“Thank you, Big Mike,” Chuck blushed, “I’m a very lucky man.”

“That you are,” Big Mike nodded, “And you seem to be doing well professionally, too. I hear you head one of the top cybersecurity firms on the West Coast, very impressive. I always knew you were destined for something more than the hallowed halls of our beloved Buy More.”

“I appreciate you saying that,” Chuck shook his former manager’s hand, “It was nice to see you again. I wish we could catch up more, but I already have plans to go pick out Christmas trees today and it’s a bit of a drive to the farm.”

“It was good to see you too,” Big Mike smiled up at him, “Go enjoy your time with your family. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” Chuck nodded and rejoined his family heading out of the door and to their cars to drive to the tree farm.

It didn’t take long to drive to the farm on the outskirts of the San Fernando Valley. Sarah and Ellie, with their respective daughters strapped to them in slings, made their way through the ordered rows talking excitedly as they evaluated each tree, searching for the perfect one. Chuck and Devon followed a short distance behind, bow saws balanced on their shoulders. Chuck couldn’t help but smile at how much Sarah was getting into the task of picking out a tree despite her initial hesitancy when the idea was first pitched to her.

An hour and a half later, the two trees had been selected, cut down and paid for. While the women went in search of something hot to drink and a warm place to sip said hot drinks, Chuck and Devon teamed up to strap their trees to the top of their vehicles. Heading to the barn where, they knew from past experience, they could find a cup of hot chocolate or cider, they found their respective partners near a small area where there were goats and other livestock to pet. Ellie was trying to get a hesitant Clara to pet the head of a pony who kept nudging the little girl’s leg seeking attention.

“Hey Babe, and Little Babe,” Devon greeted his wife and daughter with a kiss as he joined them at the fence, gently reaching out and patting the cheek of the pony. Clara finally did the same, earning praise from the adults around her for her bravery.

“Hey Hun,” Chuck kissed Sarah’s cheek, “How’s Sweet Pea doing?”

“A little cold, we all are, but at least the barn is warm,” She looked from her boyfriend to the rosy-cheeked little girl attached to her chest. “I’m glad we did this, it was fun. I think your sister and I are getting along better the more we do together as a family.”

“I’ve noticed,” Chuck nodded, “I think she’s going to demand we keep you.”

“Oh really?” Sarah quirked an eyebrow at him mockingly.

“And I think I will have to give into said demands,” He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck, careful to not squish Molly between them, “Because I have no intention of letting you go, ever.”

“That’s good, because I intend on sticking around for as long as you’ll have me.” Sarah grinned, kissing him soundly.

“Then you’d better unpack because I plan to keep you forever,” Chuck smiled at her warmly, “Or at least whatever the adult version of ‘forever’ is.”

“Okay, you two have been cute long enough,” Ellie teased them, “We should probably get those trees home and decorated before it gets too late.”

“Sounds good,” Chuck nodded to his sister, “Should we start with your tree or mine when we get back?”

“Did you already make room in your living room for the tree?” Ellie challenged him, grinning as she saw the sheepish look on his face, “I knew it. How about we start with mine, Sarah and I can work on my tree while you and Devon make space in your apartment for yours.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Chuck agreed, “I’ll order take out to meet us when we get there.”

“What are you thinking, Bro?” Awesome spoke up.

“I figure we keep it easy; how does pizza sound?” Chuck suggested, “One pepperoni and one vegetarian, no olives.”

“We have wine and beer at home, so that should work,” Ellie added.

“Sounds good to me,” Sarah grinned up at her boyfriend, who had wrapped his arm around her shoulder and was guiding her out to their SUV.

“See you guys at home,” Devon called out, opening the passenger door of his van for Ellie who had just gotten Clara settled in her car seat and slid the back door closed.

Sarah and Chuck waived at the Woodcombs before turning and getting Molly settled into her car seat. Chuck checked that the tree was lashed down tightly and hopped behind the wheel of the SUV, heading toward home as Sarah called in their order.

~~~~~~~~~

When the family arrived back at the apartment complex, Devon and Chuck quickly got the trees set up in their stands while the women collected and paid for the pizzas. They got the Woodcomb’s tree into the apartment and adjusted it until Elie was satisfied with the location of the tree. The tree for Sarah and Chuck’s apartment was set up outside the front door while the men figured out their game plan. “Okay, Bro, where do you want to start?” Devon asked, looking around the living room.

“Well, I want to put the tree near the window, so we should probably move Molly’s swing and her toys into her room.” Chuck suggested, evaluating the room, “Then we can move that arm chair over to sit next to the other one, that way we have an open space from the couch to the tree?”

“Sounds good,” Devon nodded as the men began moving baby toys and equipment as well as the furniture around until they were able to make enough room to fit the tree. They retrieved the tree from outside and had it set up in the room in no time at all. By the time they arrived back to the Woodcomb’s apartment, they found Ellie and Sarah working on getting the strands of lights untangled and up on the tree.

Ellie and Sarah had placed Molly in Clara’s old swing where she was now dozing, and Clara was sitting in a playpen with a few of her stuffed animals, chewing contentedly on the ear of a stuffed bunny. Sarah stood on a stool, the end of the untangled strand of lights in her hand as she wound the wire around the top boughs of the tree while Ellie worked on untangling the second string which would be needed to extend the first. Chuck and Devon had returned as Ellie was halfway done with her strand of lights.

“What are you two looking at?” Ellie demanded, pointing toward a rubber-maid tote behind the couch which was labeled, ‘outside decorations,’ “Get to work untangling and hanging those lights outside. Make sure to string up the fairy lights between the two apartments.” She narrowed her eyes as the men looked at her dumbfounded as they did every year when the Christmas mania began to set in, “This is the first Christmas Clara will remember and I want it to be magical. Magical, do you hear me?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Chuck responded, nodding as Devon responded with, “Yes, Dear,” Both knowing that this was the only responses that Ellie would accept when an order was given.

“Chuckster, you start on the lights while I grab the ladder,” Devon directed as Chuck bent down to retrieve the tote and carry it outside, both men doing their best to ignore the amused chuckles of their significant others.

Chuck and Devon made quick work of the outdoor decorations, since they had been the ones to take it down the year before and Chuck had meticulously wound up the cords back then so that there would be no tangling when the box was re-opened. By the time they were finished, the women had finished the tree and were sitting back with glasses of wine and the already half-eaten vegetarian pizza.

“They started with out us,” Chuck protested as Devon gave him a look that meant, ‘Did you really expect them not to?’ as the men made their way into the kitchen to grab their beers and plates.

Once dinner was finished, the gang made their way over to the other apartment where they worked together to decorate the tree. “I think, since it is her first Christmas with us, not to mention the first Christmas we will celebrate together in our own home, Sarah should put up the angel.” Chuck suggested.

The Woodcombs agreed, even little Clara was clapping her hands for her Aunt Sarah.

“Okay, let me grab the stool,” Sarah laughed and pulled the 3-step ladder, which she’d been using to hang the lights on the higher branches, beside the tree.

“This Angel was passed down from our maternal grandparents to our mom,” Chuck explained, “And then it was given to Ellie and me, since we no longer live together, we have decided to trade off every year with this and the star that was our paternal grandparents’ and is on Ellie and Devon’s tree.”

Sarah simply smiled down at her boyfriend as he reverently handed the tree topper to her. She felt his hands bracing her hips, steadying her, as she leaned over from the top of the ladder to place the delicate decoration, balancing it on the uppermost branches and plugging the cord into the socket at the start of the strand of lights. When she stepped down, and the ladder was moved, Chuck dimmed the lights and turned on the tree. The adults stood, arms around each other as they admired their handy work.

“Pretty!” Clara crowed from behind them, clapping her hands, causing the adults to turn and chuckle at her enthusiasm.

“Yes, Little Babe,” Devon scooped his daughter up, “Very pretty.”

“So, Sarah,” Ellie looked over at her brother’s girlfriend, “Did your family have any holiday traditions?”

“When I was little, my mom would bake cookies,” Sarah smiled fondly at the memory as she walked over to pick Molly up, “And when I was old enough, she would let me ‘help’ cut them out and decorate them. When I was older, my parents separated. My dad traveled a lot for work, and I went with him thinking it was some great adventure. Unfortunately, we didn’t really celebrate the holidays since we were moving around so much.”

“Not awesome,” Devon shook his head sadly.

“What did your dad do that had you moving around so much?” Ellie questioned, accepting a glass of wine from Chuck who had ducked into the kitchen to fetch drinks for the family. “Was he in the military or something?”

“Not military,” Sarah shook her head, taking a seat on one of the chairs and cuddling Molly close to her, “I guess you could say he was in the field of risks and acquisitions; he was always traveling to meet with his ‘investors.’ I remember a lot of long car rides but wouldn’t be able to tell you all the cities we visited. We moved around every few months, but he always made sure I was enrolled in school, so I still got an education. When I got older, we settled down long enough for me to stay in the same school for my junior and senior years.”

“Where did you go to school?” Ellie inquired, tilting her head.

“San Diego,” Sarah shrugged.

“Chuck has spent some time in San Diego,” Ellie looked at her brother’s girlfriend, “Who knows, maybe you two met and didn’t realize it.”

“I don’t think so, Elle,” Chuck rolled his eyes, “I would have remembered Sarah, not to mention I was kind of a huge nerd back in high school, we wouldn’t have run in the same circles.”

“You’re still a huge nerd and you’d be surprised,” Sarah chuckled wryly, “I was kind of a geek in high school. Frizzy hair, braces, French Club President, and I played violin in the school orchestra not really the prime candidate for Miss Popularity.”

“Yeah, but you still were you,” Chuck pointed out, “I bet you were still just as beautiful, even if no one was willing to recognize it.”

“Charmer,” Sarah bumped his shoulder playfully as she rolled her eyes.

“So, Sarah,” Ellie spoke up again, “Do you have any plans to resurrect some of the traditions you and your mom had from when you were younger?”

“Maybe in a few years when Molly is more able to participate,” Sarah shrugged, “We have a couple years before we really have to start worrying about anything beyond a tree and some gifts.”

“I’m sure you and Chuck will come up with something,” Ellie nodded, “In the meantime, I am going to start baking cookies and such over the next few days, you are welcome to join me if you’d like.”

“Ellie’s cookies are to die for,” Chuck added.

“Thank you, Ellie; I just might take you up on that offer,” Sarah smiled at the older woman as the clock on the mantle began to chime the hour.

“Oh wow, is that the time?” Ellie looked at her watch, “It’s past Clara’s bed time, we should get going.”

“I probably should get Molly to bed too,” Sarah agreed, standing along with Chuck, Ellie and Devon, “Thank you for including me today, I really enjoyed it.”

“Sarah, you’re family, of course we would include you,” Ellie gave her and Chuck a hug as Devon collected Clara.

“You guys have an awesome night,” Devon gave them a warm smile and hugged them both before following Ellie out the door and to their apartment.

“So, bath then bed?” Chuck asked, closing the door behind his sister and brother-in-law, “Or is it so incredibly late should we just change her and put her to bed.”

“I think we can skip the bath for tonight,” Sarah picked Molly up and carried her toward the bedroom as Chuck ducked into the kitchen and warmed a bottle for Molly to drink before bed. By the time he entered the little girl’s room, Sarah was just zipping up the baby’s sleeper. “Do you want to do the honors or shall I?”

“I’d kinda like a bit of a cuddle with her, if you don’t mind,” Chuck shrugged before Sarah passed the little girl into his arms. He folded himself into the glider and began feeding the baby as he softly hummed her to sleep.

“You are really good with her,” Sarah mused later as she watched Chuck gently lower the now sleeping infant into the crib.

“You are too,” Chuck gave her a soft smile, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they both watched the dozing girl to make sure she stayed asleep. Once they were sure she was down for the night, they settled onto the couch with glasses of wine to enjoy the glowing Christmas tree for a bit longer.

Eventually the long day got to them, prompting them to make their way down the hall into their room to change for bed. Sarah slid in first, joined soon after by Chuck who she curled up against, reveling in the feeling of his long arms wrapped around her as she drifted off to sleep. The last thing she remembered was a whispered, “I love you,” and Chuck pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before he fell asleep himself.


	19. Chapter 19

Christmas was fast approaching, and Chuck was in his room wrapping some last-minute gifts for Sarah and Molly. He knew that it didn’t make much difference what they got for Molly, they’d settled on a couple plush toys, foam blocks, and some cardboard books, but he was really hoping that Sarah’s gift would knock her off her feet. He had just attached the bow to the last parcel when he heard the front door open and close, indicating Sarah’s arrival home.

“Chuck?” She called down the hall, “Are you home? I need to speak with you.”

He quickly hid Sarah’s gift in his night stand and gathered the packages containing the gifts they’d purchased for Molly in his arms and set out toward the living room, “Yeah, I’m here,” He gave her a kiss as he passed her, pausing to set Molly’s gifts under the tree and taking a seat on the couch, trying to not let the nerves he felt at her statement show. “What do you need to talk about?”

“It’s about Christmas,” Sarah started hesitantly, taking a seat beside him.

“What about Christmas?” Chuck looked at her, “I thought we already worked that out. New traditions, spending the day with the Awesomes and Clara opening presents, binge watching the Twilight Zone while the girls nap then and an early Christmas dinner. Ellie makes the best ham…”

“I know, Hun,” She gave him a soft smile, “And I am truly looking forward to spending Christmas Day with your family.” She paused a moment, “My mom called me today when I was out with Josie.”

“How did that go?” Chuck asked, “Were you able to get her registered? Or was this just an exploratory mission?”

“More exploratory,” Sarah shrugged, “She, naturally, would prefer to wait until Kevin has settled in a little more at Westside so they can go together. I think she’s wanting to wait until they at least know the sex of the baby before putting together their registry.”

“Their baby is going to be adorable,” Chuck grinned, “Are you planning to throw her a baby shower?”

“Yeah it will be, and if she’ll let me, I just might,” Sarah shrugged, “Oh by the way, I know what you’re doing, trying to distract me.”

“Okay, you caught me,” Chuck feigned sheepishness, “What did your mom say?”

“Well, there was another tradition I didn’t mention the other day,” Sarah gave him a shy smile, “Until I left to travel with my dad, we had one more tradition. On Christmas Eve the whole family, Mom, Dad, my maternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, you get the idea, would go to the candlelight service at the church my mom grew up in.”

“Okay,” Chuck shrugged, “We did the same thing until my mom left, too. Dad tried to take us after that, but after a couple years he was so wrapped up in his work, he seldom knew what day it was, then he left too. We never really went back after that, Ellie was in college, then I was, and we were both working when on school breaks… never really returned to it once things kinda settled down.”

“Well, my mom wants to revive the tradition,” Sarah looked up at him unsure, “I mean, if you’re okay with it.”

“Of course, I’m okay with it,” Chuck gave her a smile, “Why don’t I call Ellie and see if she and Awesome would like to join us. I mean it _is_ a family thing, and they are family.”

“Really?” Sarah grinned, “You really want to do this?”

“Yeah, I would love to do this,” Chuck let loose a small chuckle, “What ever gave you the impression that I wouldn’t?”

“Well, neither of us are terribly religious,” Sarah shrugged, “And we never have really discussed what we believe about faith and God and such.”

“I’m not religious, but I do believe in God and all that,” Chuck spoke softly, “We were raised Christian, church school every Sunday, until mom left. Dad took us for a while after that, but not as frequently until we stopped going altogether.”

“I’m in pretty much the same boat,” Sarah nodded, “Once Dad and I left, it kinda fell to the wayside, but I still believe.” Sarah blushed, “I, um, I actually pray for you and Molly from time to time.”

“That isn’t something to be ashamed of,” Chuck smiled down at her, “I do the same thing.”

“Good to know,” She gave him a small smile, “So we’re really gonna do this? I mean Church on Christmas Eve with my mom, then Christmas Day with Ellie and Awesome?”

“I guess we are,” Chuck shrugged.

“I’ll call my mom and let her know,” Sarah stood to retrieve her phone.

“While you’re doing that, I’m gonna run over to Ellie’s and see if they might want to go with,” Chuck let her know as he headed toward the door, “Molly’s still sleeping, could you keep an ear out for her?”

“Sure,” Sarah smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips as she pulled her phone out of her purse and hit the speed dial number for her mom’s home phone, “Hey Mom, we’re in. Would it be okay if we bring Chuck’s sister, brother-in-law, and niece with us? …He just left to ask them now …Great! I guess we’ll see you next week, what time should we be there? …Perfect. Love you Mom.”

Just as she was hanging up her phone, Chuck returned, “They’re in as well.”

“Good,” Sarah smiled, “The service is at 5pm at Antioch City Church, but Mom said she would like us to come over around noon so she can give Molly her presents and maybe have an early dinner before going to the service.”

“I’ll let Ellie know to plan to meet us at the church say about 4:30?” Chuck suggested, “Unless your mom is okay with three more being added to the guest list.”

“I don’t think that will be a problem, once I tell her I’m sure she’ll run out to the store so she can spoil Clara too.” Sarah laughed lightly, “You know, I always loved going to the Christmas Eve service when I was a little girl. All the candles were so pretty.”

“I seem to remember doing something like that when I was a kid too,” Chuck smirked, “Although Morgan and his mom were usually with us and they had to remind us the candles were not lightsabers on occasion, and that was before they ever started lighting them.”

Sarah couldn’t help but laugh at the image of a young Chuck and Morgan playing Jedi with the tapers as their parents tried to get them to behave. “I bet you were a cute kid.”

“Nah, I was all arms and legs, real gangly and awkward as a kid,” Chuck shook his head, “Didn’t really grow into them until college. I bet you had to beat guys off with a stick when you were younger.”

“No, actually,” Sarah shrugged, “No one really payed much attention to me, I moved around so much I kinda just faded into the background. Although, once we settled down in San Diego, there was this one guy who was always really nice to me, his name was Mark. I don’t think he liked me in that way, though. He was bullied a lot by some of the jocks, and apparently in my short time there, I became the favorite verbal punching bag for the head cheerleader, so we shared a comradery because of that.”

“Wow, I never would have guessed my kick-ass ninja girlfriend was bullied in high school,” Chuck shook his head, “I mean I guess I can understand the cheerleader being jealous of how beautiful you are…”

“I had an awkward adolescent phase, too. This,” She gestured to herself, “Didn’t happen until college when my roommate decided to give me a makeover. Took a while for people to realize that the pretty Harvard co-ed and that awkward girl from San Diego were the same person.”

“That’s actually kinda cool,” Chuck grinned, “I’m still kinda in my awkward phase.”

“Oh please,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “You’re damn sexy and you know it. You’re definitely fit, but not one of those musclebound pretty boy egomaniacs that the Company is known for. You have a quiet confidence that makes people trust and respect you rather than resent you. You don’t hold your intelligence over anyone’s head or make them feel ‘less than’ around you. You are charming without meaning to be, you don’t even realize how much women swoon in your presence. You have a lot of women back in DC that would happily give their right arm to be with you, yet for some reason, you decided you want me and no one else. Not to mention, you stepped into the role of Daddy for Molly before you even really knew us, which tops everything on the sexiness scale, in my opinion.”

“Which is the only one that truly matters,” Chuck gave her a grin as he pulled her into his arms, “Because you are the woman I love. No one else’s opinion of me matters.”

“See there’s the charm I was talking about,” Sarah smiled as she lifted up on her toes to press a kiss to her boyfriend’s lips. She sighed as she felt his arms wrap tighter around her, one hand on her lower back while the other tangled itself in her hair, holding her in place while she slowly fell apart in his arms. She felt a familiar sensation in her stomach as he deepened the kiss, causing her to moan in pleasure. How he was able to make her so weak kneed by just kissing her, she would never know, and she would never try to stop finding out.

Only the cry of their daughter could stop the direction their kiss was leading them in, with the same perfect timing she’d exhibited many times over, they heard her over the monitor, “Dadadada.”

They paused, looking at each other, shocked, “Did she just do what I think she just did?” Chuck asked, stepping back a half step from Sarah, but not releasing the hold he had on her.

“If you think she just said her first word, I think you’re right,” Sarah grinned, “Do you want to test it?”

“Yeah,” Chuck smiled. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he led her toward Molly’s bedroom. He stayed just outside the door while Sarah went in.

“Hey Sweetheart,” Sarah cooed, picking Molly up from her crib and laying her on the changing table. “Did you take a good nap for Daddy?”

“Dadadada,” Molly babbled, chewing on her fist as Sarah quickly changed her diaper and set her outfit of a red long-sleeve shirt with the picture of a red-nosed reindeer on it and a jean skirt, back to rights.

“Can you say ‘Mama?’” Sarah asked, scooping the little girl up in her arms.

Molly just looked at her curiously before looking over her mother’s shoulder to see Chuck leaning against the door way. She flung her little arms out toward him, repeating, “Dadadada.”

“Clearly she’s a Daddy’s girl,” Sarah rolled her eyes, walking over to Chuck and handing Molly to him, “And knows exactly who you are.”

“Dadadada,” Molly repeated, grabbing Chuck’s face in her chubby hands.

“That’s right, he’s Daddy,” Sarah encouraged her daughter.

Chuck could see the disappointment on her face, despite trying to be happy that Molly had just said her first word, “Sarah, ‘Dada’ is a pretty common first word for a lot of kids,” He assured her, “Something about it being harder to produce the ‘m’ sound than a ‘d’ sound. Clara was the same way, her first word was ‘Dada’ and a couple weeks later she figured out, ‘Mama.’ Molly will figure it out, I promise.”

“I know you’re right, I’m being stupid,” She sighed.

“Hey, don’t call my girlfriend and the mother of my daughter stupid,” Chuck lightly reprimanded her, “She is the bravest, kindest, most brilliant woman in the world. Not to mention smoking hot.”

“You are such a nerd,” Sarah chuckled.

“Your nerd,” Chuck smiled.

“Yes, you are,” She gave him a soft kiss on his cheek as they exited Molly’s room, at that moment, they heard a knock on the front door, “I’m going to go see who that is and start dinner.”

“Sounds good,” Chuck nodded, setting Molly in her activity bouncer that had been set up in the living room a couple weeks prior. He kept an eye on Molly as he slipped into the kitchen to start prepping dinner while Sarah opened the front door to find a TransWorld currier there.

“Can I help you?” She inquired of the man standing before her.

“I have a delivery for Carmichael,” The man stated.

“One sec,” She turned back toward the living room, “Chuck, are you expecting a package?”

Sarah couldn’t help but chuckle at him tripping over his feet as he rounded the corner to get to the door, “Yeah, uh, yeah,” He finally made it to the door, his sock-clad feet sliding a bit as he opened the door a little wider and showed his government identification to the currier. The currier nodded and handed the ledger to Chuck to sign before handing him the package, a box that looked to be about 3 inches tall and about 5 inches wide and deep.

“What’s that?” Sarah gave him a questioning look as he quickly unwrapped the parchment from the package to reveal a red clam shell box.

“I think we should sit down,” He advised, nodding toward the couch, Sarah simply gave him a concerned look and did as he suggested, “I know I should have told you earlier, but I really didn’t know how to.” He took a deep breath, “When you were in DC, Orion reached out to me.”

“He did what?” Sarah’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline.

“Well, technically I reached first,” Chuck shrugged, “I really wanted him for our team but Graham was stonewalling me so I thought maybe I could offer Orion a position directly.”

“What did he say when you got a hold of him?” Sarah inquired, “Was he interested?”

“I don’t know,” Chuck shook his head, “I never got a chance to ask, he was too focused on the intersect, apparently he had a hand in designing it, or in his words ‘the really cool parts’ at least. He tried to get me to agree to have it removed, said that he never wanted me to have it in the first place and that he had Omaha shut down to prevent it. He sounded really protective, I don’t know if it was over the database or over me, or maybe both, I don’t know.” He shrugged, “I declined his offer to remove it, I mean I can do a lot of good with this information,” He insisted as Sarah nodded her head, “Since I refused his offer, he said that he was going to send me something to help regulate the electrical impulses in my brain to help it cope with the intersect better. He called it the Governor.”

Sarah watched as he slowly opened the box to reveal what looked to be a com watch like what was issued to agents. However, this model was not the standard model, she saw a slight glimmer of recognition cross Chuck’s face only to disappear just as fast. “What?” She looked at him as he removed the watch from its box and examined it, “Is there something wrong with it?”

“No, not that I can see,” Chuck shook his head as he turned the watch over in his hand, it was clear the backing had been replaced, and the straps had silver disks along the side that would meet his skin, but the watch was otherwise unable to be told apart from any other com watch given to agents. “I almost expected something to be written across the backing, I don’t know why. It’s just strange…” He murmured as he unfastened the watch that was already on his wrist and exchanged it for the governor. As soon as the watch was fastened to his wrist, the hands went to twelve for a moment before resetting back to the time of the day, Sarah noticed a relieved look pass over her boyfriend’s face. “Oh wow, that feels a lot better.”

“What happened?” She gave him a concerned look.

“It did what it was supposed to do,” Chuck sighed, his body relaxing into the couch, “I guess I didn’t realize how much the intersect was affecting me, I feel so much lighter, like a weight has been lifted from me. My head feels a lot clearer too.”

“Well no one ever said that Orion didn’t know what he was doing,” She shrugged, “Next time you make contact with him, you should thank him.”

“I don’t know if I ever will hear from him again,” Chuck shook his head.

“If he is as protective as he seemed when he spoke to you, you just might hear from him again.” Sarah suggested, “But I think you should leave it up to him to make contact.”

“You may be right,” Chuck wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her head.

“I’m always right,” She teased, leaning into him.

“Yes, you are,” Chuck laughed, holding her tight and enjoying the peace of mind the moment brought.

~~~~~~~~~

“I’m so glad you all made it!” Emma beamed, throwing open the door to invite her guests in, “I haven’t had kids in the house for Christmas since Sa-Sarah was little.”

“Of course, we came, Mom,” Sarah returned her mother’s smile as she gave the older woman a hug. Stepping back, she gestured to the rest of the group, “Mom, I would like you to meet Chuck’s sister and brother-in-law, Ellie and Devon Woodcomb, and their daughter Clara.”

“Thank you so much for inviting us,” Ellie gave their hostess a small smile as she removed her coat and helped Devon remove Clara’s. “We haven’t done this kind of a thing since we were kids.”

“Of course, Hunny,” Emma nodded.

“And Mom, of course, you know Chuck,” Sarah gestured to her boyfriend who held Molly in his arms.

“I don’t think I could ever forget Chuck,” Emma grinned, pulling the man down into a hug. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“It’s nice to see you too Mrs…” He saw the look Emma gave him and quickly corrected, “Emma.”

“I see you all dressed down like I asked you to,” Emma smiled, seeing the adults dressed in jeans, t-shirts, and sweaters for the women and sweatshirts for the men. The girls were also dressed casually, Molly in a pair of red leggings and a red play dress with a black band around the middle and white cuffs and hem, on the bodice ‘Santa Baby’ was written. Clara had on red and green striped leggings and a white long-sleeved shirt with a graphic of an elf and ‘Elffin cute’ written on the front. “And aren’t these two girls precious!” She cooed as Chuck handed Molly to her. She pressed a quick kiss on the baby’s cheek then looked toward Clara who was still securely held in Devon’s arms. “I am gonna spoil the two of you rotten!” She waived a hand to silence the four young parents before they could object, “Before any of you protest, because I know you want to, being able to spoil their grandbabies is a grandma’s prerogative. Besides, I hid the receipts so you can’t give any of the gifts back.”

The parents all rolled their eyes at the older woman’s bold statement, all knowing that they wouldn’t win this battle.

“Mom, we did bring our nicer clothes for later,” Sarah prompted.

“Yes, good,” Emma nodded, “You can keep that stuff and your coats in your old room, Sweetheart. I’m going to show the girls how we make cookies.” She held out her free arm for Clara, who was dutifully handed over to her before the young parents all retreated to their vehicles to retrieve the dresses and suits that had been selected to wear to the festivities that evening. Emma had Molly in a bouncy chair on the kitchen table and Clara sitting on the counter ‘helping’ her press plastic cookie cutters into the sugar cookie dough she’d rolled out just before the younger adults arrived. She smiled when she heard the tell-tale noise of trunks being closed followed closely by four pairs of feet ascending the stairs, first on the porch then the main stairs of the house as Sarah gave them instructions on where to find various rooms in the house.

Once everyone’s garment bags were hung neatly in Sarah’s old closet, they journeyed back down the stairs in search of their children. Sarah and Ellie beamed happily while their spouses shared a look, “Hey baby,” Ellie cooed, approaching the counter where Molly sat, “What are you up to?”

Clara simply pointed at Emma and made the motion for ‘help,’ Ellie and Devon had made the decision long ago to teach their daughter American Sign Language before she was verbal to help them all communicate, and she still supplemented her English words with signs. Sarah had likewise started using signs with Molly to supplement the girl’s language development once she read the research that Ellie had provided her.

“You’re helping Emma?” Ellie confirmed.

Clara grinned and nodded before pointing at Emma, “G’Emma!” She crowed

“G’Emma,” Emma smiled, “I like it! That’s right baby, I’m G’Emma,” She made quick work of moving the cut cookies onto a nearby baking sheet and put them in the oven. “Why don’t we go into the living room while we wait on the cookies to bake? I have some things for the girls to entertain themselves with. Chuck, could you do me a favor, grab the pitcher of eggnog from the fridge and some glasses and bring them out with you? Is eggnog good for everyone?”

The adults agreed to the suggested beverage, Sarah and Ellie made quick work of picking up their respective daughters and headed into the living room. Emma laid out an activity mat with some foam blocks and dolls for the girls to play with. Chuck and Awesome followed soon after, Chuck with the pitcher and Awesome with a stack of glasses. Devon joined Ellie on the love seat while Chuck took a seat next to Sarah on the couch. While the girls played, the adults chatted, catching up on recent events and getting to know one another better.

The timer on the oven started beeping for the last time as Emma excused herself to retrieve the last batch of cookies. “I’m going to let those cool before icing them,” She smiled at the younger couples, “So do we want to start dinner now or should we open presents first?”

“Well it’s only a little after one ‘o’clock,” Chuck shrugged, looking at his watch, “I think dinner can wait a little bit. Do you need long to prepare it?”

“Not much at all,” Emma assured him, “I made the sauce the other day, just have to reheat it, cook the noodles, and bake the garlic bread, shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes when all’s said and done.”

“I guess presents, it is,” Sarah nodded, causing her mother to smile as the older woman walked toward the tree, grabbing a few gifts.

“Since the majority of these belong to the girls, I figure we can open ours first while they’re playing and then help them with theirs,” Emma suggested, handing gifts to the younger adults.

“Emma, you didn’t have to get us gifts,” Ellie lightly protested, opening the rectangular box that had been handed to her. “Oh my,” She gasped, pulling out the lab coat that had been embroidered with royal blue lettering spelling out _Dr. Elinore Woodcomb M.D._ with _Neurology_ embroidered below in slightly smaller lettering. Beneath her name was, _Westside Medical,_ in even smaller, silver, letters. “Emma, thank you, but I’m not in neurology, at least not yet.”

“Your brother mentioned that your dream was to attend the Neurology fellowship at UC-Irvine,” Emma explained, “I did a little research on you, and from what I can see, they would be fools to not accept you into the program. So, while you may not be able to wear it just yet, you’ll have it for when you are able to use it. Think of it as a visual motivator.”

Ellie wiped a stray tear from her cheek as she stood and embraced the older woman, “Thank you, so much, Emma. You don’t even know me, yet you couldn’t have given me a better gift.”

“Oh hush, Sweetheart,” Emma gave Ellie an extra squeeze, “While we may not have met until today, I’ve heard so much about you from your brother and my daughter that I feel like I know you. I know your mom hasn’t been in the picture for a long time and you don’t know where your dad is. I hope you don’t think it’s too presumptuous, but seeing as we are practically family, I would love for little Clara to consider me a grandmother and for you and Chuck to consider me a surrogate mother.”

“I would love that,” Ellie gave her a watery smile, “Thank you.”

The other adults had been opening their gifts as Ellie and Emma had been talking, trying to not interrupt the moment of maternal support that Ellie seemingly needed and had been needing for well over a decade. Devon had received a new climbing harness, which was awesome since his old one was nearly worn out. Sarah opened the box in her lap and found a blanket that seemed to be patch worked from various scraps of fabric.

Emma smiled warmly at her daughter’s confused expression, “I found a box of your old baby and childhood clothes when I was looking for the bassinette a few months back, thought I’d put them to better use.”

“Mom,” Sarah grinned, “I love it. I know just the place to put it.”

“Back of the couch?” Chuck suggested, looking at his girlfriend.

“My thoughts, exactly,” Sarah confirmed, “It’s beautiful, Mom, thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, Sweetheart,” Emma bent down to kiss her daughter’s cheek as Chuck began to open the small box that had been handed to him.

Inside the large, clamshell, box, Chuck found an antique pocket watch. It was silver with a scroll design on the upper lid of the case, on the back there was an inscription, that read _‘Every family has a story…”_ Opening the watch revealed a watch face with roman numerals and hands that showed the hour, minute, and second, in the lower right hand corner was a box that denoted the numeric day of the month, the lower left held an abbreviated form of the day. On the side opposite the face was a picture of himself, holding a five-month-old Molly while Sarah sat beside him as they both looked adoringly at their little girl.

“Emma…” Chuck choked out, “It’s beautiful, thank you.”

“You are very welcome, Dear,” The older woman gave him a soft smile. “I thought you might like something to commemorate how your family began.”

“I love it,” He returned her smile, reaching into his pocket, “I do have a little something for Sarah.”

The women looked on with bated breath as he removed a small box wrapped in paper from his pocket and handed it to Sarah. She gave him a questioning look before accepting the gift and slowly opening it. The paper slipped off the velvet box and fell to the floor as Sarah slowly opened the box and gasped, “Oh Chuck, it’s lovely.”

Ellie’s grin grew as she recognized the familiar accessory that was being removed from the box. A delicate chain bracelet with a few charms already added, namely a rainbow, a teddy bear, a snowflake, and a flat disk that depicted a constellation that vaguely looked like a person holding a bow on the back. “It was my mom’s. My dad gave it to her the day Ellie was born.”

“Chuck,” Sarah sighed as Chuck attached the bracelet around her wrist, “Are you sure? I mean this is really special.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m giving it to my special lady,” Chuck smiled softly at her, squeezing her hand in one of his own, while the other traced up her arm to cup the back of her neck and bring her forward into a gentle kiss, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Sarah whispered back, her eyes dropping to the bracelet, “I assume each charm means something?”

“The constellation is my father, he loved astronomy,” Chuck smiled fondly, remembering the nights he and Ellie had spent with their father as kids before their mom left, huddled around a telescope or laying back on blankets as he pointed out various constellations, most of which he couldn’t remember any more. “The Snowflake is Mom, I guess she must have loved the snow. The rainbow is Ellie…”

Emma gasped softly, looking over at Ellie, “Your poor mother,” She murmured, at the questioning looks of the young adults she continued, “She lost a child before you, didn’t she?”

“Yeah,” Ellie nodded thoughtfully, “She had a couple miscarriages while they were trying.”

“So, you were her rainbow baby,” Emma smiled softly at her. “I’m glad she didn’t let it get her down and continued on to have two wonderful children after that heartbreak.”

“Me too,” Ellie nodded, “I forgot about that term, I know I’ve heard it from the nursing staff before, though.”

“You learn new things every day,” Chuck nodded thoughtfully, “I hope we can add on to this as time goes on, starting with this,” He pulled an even smaller box from his pocket and waited until Sarah opened it, a grin spreading across both their faces when a small airplane charm was found nestled in the satin folds of the pillow. “I’ll take it to the jewelers later to have them add it to the chain.”

“Thank you,” Sarah smiled up at him, leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips, “I love it, it’s perfect.”

“Only the best for my girl,” Chuck grinned down at her before turning to the rest of the group, “So presents for the kiddos now?” He asked. At the affirmative nod from the other adults, he and Awesome collected the girls and helped them open their gifts while Sarah and Ellie half-heartedly complained that Emma had bought too many toys and clothes for the girls, which the older woman effectively waived off.

Later, the adults left the girls to play with their new toys as they cleaned up the mountains of wrapping paper and bows save two shiny ones that had somehow wound up on the top of the babies’ heads. While this was being done, Emma slipped into the kitchen to start dinner, turning the oven onto broil before slipping a loaf of French bread in and setting a large pot of ravioli to boil. Before long, the bread and sauce were warmed up, the pasta transferred to a serving dish and salad was placed on the table along with an assortment of dressing bottles.

“Kids,” Emma called from the dining room, “Dinner’s ready!”

The adults and their children made their way into the dining room, once both girls were deposited into high chairs, their parents took seats around the table with Emma sitting at the head. Murmurs of thanks and praise over the deliciousness of the meal were all that were heard as the family tucked into their meal. While Sarah and Ellie cleaned up the dishes, insisting that Emma relax in the living room after all she’d done that day, Devin and Chuck took the girls upstairs to be bathed as they’d both decided they wanted to wear rather than eat the chopped noodles and sauce that Emma had made for them.

An hour later, the girls were bathed, and everyone was dressed in their Christmas best and ready to leave for the service. Emma joined Chuck and Sarah in the SUV while Devin and Ellie followed in their minivan. The service was beautiful, the congregation sung traditional Christmas hymns that the younger adults were all surprised they’d remembered, the pastor then read a passage about the first Christmas then spoke about the importance of the event which transitioned into explaining the reason for the tapers that were handed out and would be later lit as a physical representation of Christ’s warmth, love and light.

The lights were dimmed as the pastor and a few of the ushers lit one person’s candle in every few rows, soon the whole sanctuary was filled with the soft flicker of candlelight as the choir sang ‘Oh, Holy Night’ and ‘Silent Night.’ Memories flooded their minds of Christmases past spent similarly with their respective families and friends. As the last bar of ‘Silent Night’ was struck, the lights were brought back up and the candles were extinguished. The pastor then prayed over the congregation and released them to return to their homes.

Chuck couldn’t remember a time he’d felt so content as he walked back to the SUV, a dozing Molly in his arm, Sarah’s hand clasped firmly in his hand while, on his other side, Ellie carried Clara while Devon guided her by way of the arm he had wrapped around her waist as they walked into the parking lot and toward their respective vehicles. Hugs and kisses were exchanged before Ellie and Awesome loaded Clara into the van and took off toward home, leaving Chuck and Sarah to drive Emma back to her home before heading to theirs as well.

It wasn’t hard to imagine doing this very thing for years to come, and looking at Sarah’s face, it was clear that she fully intended to include this tradition in their future celebrations of the holiday. When they’d arrived at her home, Emma hugged and kissed Sarah and her family good night before heading in and watching as they drove off into the night.


	20. Chapter 20

Chuck rolled over to find Sarah’s side of the bed empty, a quick peek at the video baby monitor showed that Molly wasn’t in her crib either. “I guess they decided to get up early today,” He murmured to himself, pulling a robe over his t-shirt and sleep pants and venturing into the living room. To his surprise, they weren’t there either. It wasn’t until he heard commotion outside that it all started to make sense. Of course, Sarah was up early, she’d been pulled into Ellies party planner mode insanity.

“Oh, Chuck, good, you’re up!” Ellie smiled brightly at him as he stepped out into the courtyard. “Help Devon set up those tables,” She paused a moment taking in his appearance, “Why are you still in your pajamas? The party is in less than 12 hours and we have a lot to do.”

“Don’t you think you’re going just a smidge overboard, Elle?” Chuck rolled his eyes as he helped Devon to move a table over to where a set of outdoor electrical outlets were, clearly this table would later be used to service the crock pots his sister likely already had on and cooking or would have soon.

“It’s New Year’s Eve, Chuck,” Ellie scoffed, “A night of letting the past go and embracing new beginnings! Not to mention that someone,” She gave him a pointed look, “Invited their whole office to the party and I want to make a good impression.”

“Perhaps it’s not the smartest idea to mention she invited half the emergency and cardiac wards to this shindig as well,” Devon advised in a sotto voice when it appeared Chuck was to bring just that up.

“Ellie, seriously, my team would be okay with chips, dip, and drinks,” Chuck groaned, “There really is no need to put yourself out like this.”

“Babe, this is one of those times you take the assist and shut up,” Sarah raised an eyebrow as she walked up to them, a bag of plastic table cloths and tape in hand, “I think it’s sweet she wants to make a good impression for our co-workers. I’m actually a little nervous about them coming.”

“Really?” Chuck pulled her into his arms to try to sooth her worries, “Why?”

“Chuck,” Sarah sighed into his shoulder, “While a few of them may already know about us, the rest of them will definitely know after tonight. They’ll have full proof that, not only are we are together, but we have a daughter. What if one of them goes to Graham or Beckman and tells them what they know?”

“You and I both know the only one who might do that is Casey,” He ran his hands up and down her biceps as his eyes met hers, “And he said he would only do that if he felt our relationship became detrimental to the mission, and thus far he hasn’t seemed to feel inclined to turn us in as of yet. Besides if they try to split us apart, we have precedent on our side, the Turners for one.”

“They have been divorced from each other nearly as many times as they’ve been married to each other,” Sarah groaned, “Not really the best example.”

“Beckman and Montgomery?” Chuck quirked a mischievous eyebrow.

“Yeah, I can see that going over _real_ well,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “Aren’t they on the outs right now?”

“I’m sure those aren’t the only examples,” Chuck sighed, “In any event, we hand picked our team for a reason. I think after the initial shock of finding out the rumors are true, they’ll get over it, maybe even be happy for us.”

“I guess you’re right,” Sarah sighed, “I’m a little surprised you’re not a little more concerned about tonight.”

“Why’s that?” Chuck tilted his head as Sarah attempted to stifle a giggle at how much like a puppy it made him look with his hair unkempt and very close to the animal shapes phase of growth.

“Morgan is coming,” She supplied.

“It’s Morgan,” He shrugged, “I’m actually excited to see him. We’ve been friends forever, but we needed this time apart to adjust to this new phase in our lives. I just hope he used this time wisely to think over what he did and why it was a bad idea, also to figure himself out.”

“I really don’t have friends like that,” Sarah gave him a small smile, “We moved around so much and then joining the company, it can have the same effect on your life to the point that you question if you are even capable of having meaningful, long-term, relationships. I guess I’ll have to take your word for it.”

“You’re getting there,” Chuck assured her, “I see you forming meaningful relationships, not only with your mom, Molly, and me, but with Ellie, Josie, Lou… You are more than capable.”

“Thank you,” She blushed, letting him pull her into a hug, “I guess I should probably get back to work, these tablecloths are not going to secure themselves.”

“I would advise getting one of the reusable, insulated ones for this table,” Chuck suggested, nodding to the table he and Devon had just set up. “Based on its proximity to the outlets, it’s the most likely candidate for the hot food, and speaking from personal experience, cheap dollar store tablecloth will always lose to the bevy of crockpots.”

“Good thinking,” Sarah beamed and headed toward Ellie’s house.

“Awesome,” Chuck called to his brother-in-law who looked up in time to see Chuck gesture to himself then to the apartment and back to the courtyard. After receiving a nod of understanding from the older man, Chuck ducked inside to take a quick shower and change.

“Devon, where’s Chuck?” Ellie asked twenty minutes later, a sleepy Clara, who’d only just woken up, on her hip.

“He ducked inside to get showered and dressed,” Devon shrugged, “He’ll be back in a little bit.”

Ellie rolled her eyes, “Doesn’t he get that we have a lot to get done?” She demanded, “He can shower once it’s all set up!”

“Elle, I’m already back,” Chuck jogged up, wearing a dark blue t-shirt with a floppy disk on the front and ‘my life’ printed in pixelized lettering underneath, a long sleeved, white shirt underneath, a pair of comfortable jeans, and his ever-present black chucks. His damp curls were going every which way giving him a youthful look that, when matched with the teasing glint in his eyes and grin on his face, made him look younger than his 28 years.

“Please tell me you’ll get a hair cut before tonight,” Ellie groaned.

“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t,” He couldn’t resist teasing his older sister, “Sarah likes my hair this way.”

“I doubt she’ll like it when your hair starts making funny animal shapes,” Ellie warned, “You can go as soon as you set up the DJ’s booth and sound system.”

“Okay, Mom,” Chuck rolled his eyes but set off toward the corner of the courtyard to do as he was instructed. Along the way, he met with Sarah, “Do you think I need a haircut?”

“Not quite yet, but soon,” She shrugged, “You’re starting to get the wild curls again, and as much as I love burying my fingers in it,” She grinned as Chuck barely suppressed an intimate growl at the thought of the context in which she most liked doing just that, “You do need to project something of a professional appearance around the office, and even though this is just a casual get-together to ring in the new year, it couldn’t hurt to get a little bit of a trim. Frankly, I think you look sexy no matter if your hair is full of wild curls or shorter and tamed.”

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you avoided answering the question,” Chuck gave her a small smile, “Ellie asked me to set up the DJ stand, so I probably should get to that before she has an aneurism.”

“I heard that!” Ellie called to him.

“I swear she has supersonic hearing,” Chuck murmured to Sarah before kissing her on the cheek, “I should probably see to that,” He indicated to the table that was meant to serve as the DJ’s booth.

Sarah couldn’t help but chuckle and roll her eyes good naturedly at the siblings before heading back over to the hot food table with the insulated tablecloths. She watched Chuck work his electronic magic over in the corner, making sense of the tangle of wires that would run between the speakers and the DJ equipment. If he hadn’t been recruited in to the CIA in college, she could easily see him working some tech job, but it would have to be one where he was hands-on, he was too restless to sit behind a desk for hours on end. Even at their office, he was constantly getting up and walking around, talking to their team at their desks, and at least once during every briefing, she would catch him bouncing his leg under the table to dispel his extra energy.

She had just turned to cover another table when she heard a loud bang and a groan. When she looked at the cause of the noise, she found Chuck crawling out from under the table, rubbing the back of his head where he’d cracked it on the underside of the table. “I’ll go get the ice,” Sarah went back to her apartment while Ellie examined the goose egg that was rapidly forming on Chuck’s head as she lectured him about paying attention to what he was doing.

“Seriously, Chuck,” Ellie sighed, “One of these days you are going to give yourself a concussion. Then what would you do?”

“Submit to the ministrations of one of the world’s most beautiful nursemaids?” He suggested with a faux put-upon huff as he accepted the cloth-wrapped bag of ice that Sarah had returned with, giving her a smile of gratitude, which caused her to blush slightly. “Speaking of, I think I will allow her to tend to my battle wounds now.”

“Chuck,” Ellie huffed, “Are you trying to get out of helping?”

“No,” He shook his head, “I’m done, there’s nothing more that needs done until the DJ gets here and he can connect the wires to his board himself. My job here is done… at least until it’s time to pick up our order from BevMo for tonight.”

“Fine,” Ellie rolled her eyes, “Go lay down, but if you start to get dizzy, nauseous, or get a migraine, you need to tell me immediately.”

“I know the drill sis,” Chuck batted away her hands as he stood to his full height and leaned against Sarah as she led him back to his apartment. “If anyone asks, I was jumped from behind and the guy was much bigger than me.”

“Casey jumped you for no reason,” Sarah smirked up at him, “Got it.”

Chuck started to laugh, which turned to a groan at the pain it caused to radiate through his skull, “Ugh, don’t make me laugh, Sarah.”

“Alright, lets get you to bed, you big baby.” Sarah snickered, guiding him through the living room and down the hall to their room.

“Care to join me?” Chuck gave her the patented Bartowski eyebrow dance.

“No, for a couple reasons,” She shook her head as he sat on the bed, “One, you’re injured and should rest, and two, I have other things that need to be done before the party tonight. Tell you what, if you’re still laying down and I’m done with my party prep by the time Molly is put down for her nap, I’ll join you for a little adult nap time then. Deal?”

“You have yourself a deal,” Chuck grinned widely at her, toeing off his shoes and letting her guide him down to rest on his pillow, making sure the ice pack was properly located to decrease the swelling of the impact point.

Sarah pressed a soft kiss to his forehead and promised to be back in a little bit, if he tried to get some rest.

~~~~~~~~~ 

The alarm sounded promptly at 15:30, causing both the adults to groan. True to her word, as soon as Sarah had put Molly down for her nap, at Auntie Ellie’s, she’d joined Chuck in bed. Seeing that the knot on the back of his head was nearly resolved and the fact he was lucid and pain free, she’d allowed him to drag her into the bed for some time together. They both knew these moments were precious and, when Molly was older, would be harder to come by, so they chose to make the best of it that they could.

“I don’t wanna get up,” Chuck mumbled into the back of her shoulder where he lay spooning her.

“If we don’t get up now,” Sarah slowly turned over in his arms until they were nose to nose, “You know Ellie will barge in here and pull us out of bed, no matter our state of dress,” She looked down at their lazily entwined bodies, “Or undress.”

“Let her,” Chuck mumbled sleepily, pressing soft kisses to his girlfriend’s jaw and neck, “I am happy exactly where I am. Besides, it would be fair considering how many times I accidentally walked in on her and Awesome before I moved out… or rather they moved out and I took over this apartment.”

“Yeah, well I am not too keen on her finding us in the altogether,” Sarah sighed as Chuck found a particularly sensitive spot behind her ear, “But since we did participate in a rather vigorous exercise regimen…”

“A few times over,” Chuck grinned proudly as he rolled her onto her back and continued his ministrations.

“We are probably due for a shower,” She gave him a knowing smile.

“And when you say shower you mean…”

“_Shower_,” Sarah purred, burying her hands in his curls and lowering his lips to her in a sensuous kiss.

“Well in that case,” Chuck wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the bed, causing her to shriek and giggle as he carried her into the bathroom, not letting her go until the water was warm enough for him to step in with her still in his arms.

“Mister Bartowski, just what do you think you are doing?” Sarah teased, seeing the predatory look in his eyes.

“Turn around and you’ll find out,” Chuck growled, pulling her puff and favorite body wash from the caddy behind him. He slowly began to wash her, making sure that not a crevice was missed by any means necessary.

When Sarah could no longer take it anymore, she spun around and attacked his lips, grinning as she felt his strong arms wrap around her as he pressed her between the wall of the shower and his warm body. They made love once more as the water streamed over them, before truly washing up and returning to their bedroom wearing nothing but their towels and a smile.

By the time they left the apartment, Sarah in a pair of skinny black dress pants, a champagne top, a red cardigan, and her favorite black pumps that lifted her to just above Chuck’s shoulder. On her wrist was the charm bracelet she’d received a week before, and around her neck was a silver locket bearing pictures of Molly and Chuck that had mysteriously found its way under the tree addressed to her from Santa. Chuck was right behind her in tan chinos, plaid button down with a dark green V-neck sweater over top, and a new pair of brown leather mid-top chucks.

“There you two are!” Ellie called out, “We were wondering what was taking so long.” She rolled her eyes at the look the younger couple shared, “Or maybe it’s better I didn’t know.”

“Ellie, you need to relax,” Chuck smiled down at his sister, resting his hand on her shoulder, “We’re here now, and we are about to run to BevMo to grab the adult beverages. Can you keep an eye on Molly just a little longer?”

“Yeah, Devon is inside feeding the munchkins,” Ellie nodded, “He’s having the time of his life, playing with the girls all day.”

“Well I think we all knew when it came to being a Daddy and an uncle he would be,” Chuck started.

“Awesome,” He and Sarah spoke together.

Ellie just rolled her eyes, “Just go to the store you two and stop picking on my husband.”

“Oh, c’mon Elle,” Chuck returned the eye roll, “He loves the nick name, you need to get over it already.”

“Chuck, we should probably get going,” Sarah reminded him, “The store is on holiday hours today and will be closing soon.”

“Right,” Chuck nodded, placing his hand on the small of her back and leading her toward the car, “We’ll be back in a bit, Elle. Is there anything other than the booze you need us to get?”

“More ice, napkins, paper plates, and utensils?” She suggested, “No matter how well I plan, we always wind up running short on those things.”

“Done and done,” Chuck confirmed before he and Sarah left via the plaza’s archway.

The last of the drinks and supplies were picked up and they returned within an hour only to be immediately pointed in different directions, Chuck to the ‘bar’ to deposit the various bottles of liquor and get the beer and soda in the ice buckets, and Sarah to the serving tables with instructions to put the spare napkins, plates, and utensils under the table holding the cold dishes.

Just as they were wrapping up, the DJ arrived and Chuck went into action, assisting him in the last-minute equipment set up, and before long, music was drifting over the courtyard. Ellie looked around the courtyard, pleased at how the set up turned out. Taking a deep breath, she knew that she was ready for the guests to start arriving within the hour. She excused herself to go get ready while Awesome, both girls in his arms, strolled into the courtyard.

“I don’t know how she does it,” The older man commented in awe of his wife’s party-planning skills, “This is so awesome!”

“She’s a party-planning ninja, that sister of mine,” Chuck grinned, taking Molly from her uncle and settling her on his hip. “I should probably go get this one dressed.”

“I can take care of that,” Sarah walked over to the two men, “I can grab Clara’s clothes and get her ready too.”

“That would be great, Sarah. Thanks,” Devon grinned, “Her clothes are on her dresser upstairs, we’ll hand the girls over when you get back.”

Sarah nodded and ducked into the house, only to return a few minutes later with a small change of clothes draped over her arm and a pair of shoes dangling from her fingers, “Alright hand them over.”

Devon quickly passed Molly over to Sarah and placed Clara, who had been squirming to get down, on the ground to walk along with her auntie to the other apartment. The men watched as she disappeared into the apartment with the little girls. As the door closed behind them, Devon turned to Chuck, “Brewski?”

“You buying?” Chuck joked, causing Devon to laugh as they made their way over to the self-serve bar and grabbed a couple bottles from the ice bucket and, using the opener on the table, popped the caps, each taking a long draw from their drinks. “New Year’s Eve,” Chuck took a deep breath as the men sat on the edge of the fountain, “Is it weird that it feels like this year has just flown by?”

“Not in the slightest,” Devon shook his head and took a swig from his beer, “You’ve had a lot happen this year, Bro. You were in Europe for a long time working for that business guy then you came back and met Sarah and Molly, they moved in, essentially taking you from a single guy to daddy practically overnight. Not to mention, you expanded your business by a lot, you and Morgan had a falling out, I don’t know how you do it all. I would be exhausted; you are nothing short of awesome, man.”

“Thanks Devon,” Chuck clinked the neck of his bottle with Devon’s, “I guess when you put it that way, a lot has happened. I guess I just never stopped to think how much was changing. Speaking of change, I really hope Morgan comes tonight.”

“You miss the little dude, don’t you?” Devon gave his brother-in-law a sympathetic look.

“Yeah,” Chuck took another draw from his beer, “We’ve been friends since we were six, it’s weird not having him around. I really hope for everyone’s sake that he took the time to think over what I said.”

“I did,” Morgan’s voice spoke up softly from over Chuck’s shoulder, “And you were right man. We aren’t 25 anymore, it’s time we grew up. I mean, look at you, mister grown-up, you own your own business, you have a smoking hot lady love and are now a dad, of all things. I guess I always knew on some level you’d get to this place before I did, but you did it in the Chukest way possible. Amazing, over the top, and with seemingly little effort.”

“Oh, trust me, there was some effort,” Chuck snickered, “You try going from a one-man operation to having a staff of 20 and growing, moving into a new office, and balancing corporate, government, and private contracts on a limited budget.”

“You did have Sarah to help you through most of that,” Devon pointed out.

“True,” Chuck nodded, tipping back his bottle and swallowing the last mouthful of his beer before starting to peal the label off absent mindedly.

“And speaking of Sarah,” Morgan crossed the courtyard to the drink table to grab a beer for himself, raising the bottle to the two other men in question who both shook their heads. “She practically fell into your lap.”

“Actually, that’s not how it happened,” Chuck shrugged, “There may have been a slight bit of finagling on my part…”

“’Finagling?’” Morgan quirked an eyebrow, taking a seat on the other side of his best buddy.

“I may or may not have hacked the airline’s server, upgraded Sarah and Molly to first class, assigned them the seat next to mine on our flight from Paris,” Chuck blushed, “Then proceeded to act as if we were married and they’d joined me on my business trip.”

“You mean, that actually worked?” Morgan practically shouted, “I am not worthy to be in your presence. Teach me your ways, oh great master!”

“Bold,” Devon nodded appreciatively before giving his brother a double take, “Wait, I thought you two met at Buy More a week or so before the dinner party you brought her to.”

“Yeah, well, can you imagine how Ellie would have reacted to the fact I met this amazing woman on a plane, we hit it off and then never called her afterward?” Chuck shrugged embarrassedly. “She had given me her email, but my computer fried before I got a chance to reach out to her.”

“Dude, you have a laptop,” Devon pointed out.

“Okay,” Chuck relented, “I was scared that she would think it was some kind of creepy stalker dude, or worse, some rando that had a fetish for women with small children.”

“What on Earth would make your mind go there?” Morgan demanded, “I mean if I’d pulled off a stunt like that to pick up a girl, I’d understand that misconception, but you? Chuck you are the most honest, kind, wholesome individual who ever walked this Earth, after Jesus, that is.”

“Not to mention, I didn’t do it to pick her up,” Chuck shrugged humbly, “I saw her trying to calm Molly down in the boarding area. Molly’s ears hadn’t cleared from their previous flight and she was screaming. I felt bad for her and remembered flying to Chicago with Ellie and Devon earlier this year and how miserable Clara was before a flight attendant gave them some tips on how to help her to clear her ears.”

“I remember that,” Devon shook his head, gathering his now empty bottle and Chucks and crossing to the recycling bin they’d set up by the drink station, “Not awesome.”

“I thought it was very sweet,” The men turned as one to see Sarah walking toward them. Molly, dressed in a deep blue sweater, black leggings, and a pair of blue mini-chucks, on her hip, with Clara, dressed in a grey sweatshirt with blue snowflakes all over it, jeans, and a pair of uggs, holding her other hand and toddling along beside her. As soon as Clara spotted her father, she set out at a run to the man, who scooped her up and tickled her stomach causing her to giggle.

“She was a good sport,” Chuck admitted, “It could have so easily gone the other way. She could have just as easily called the police on me.”

“I was about to,” Sarah admitted, “But you try saying no to that face.”

“Dadadada,” Molly squealed, spotting Chuck and reaching out to him.

“And there was that,” Sarah and the men laughed as she handed the wriggling girl over to Chuck, “Molly was instantly drawn to him, and you know what they say about children and dogs…”

“You used our daughter as a creep detector?” Chuck gave her a mock incredulous look.

“Only for a moment,” Sarah shrugged, “After that, it was clear you were of honest intent, although your approach was rather unique.”

“You were so focused on Molly that you didn’t notice the men scoping you out in the boarding area,” Chuck pointed out, “Not everyone looking at you was because of the screaming baby in your arms.”

“Oh, I saw them,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “I chose to ignore them.”

“I figured acting like your husband would reduce the likelihood of them molesting you,” Chuck gave her a winning grin.

“You can put that away now,” Sarah chuckled, “You already won.” She then turned to Morgan, “Hey Morgan, it’s good to see you again.”

“You too,” Morgan responded quietly, looking between his best friend and his best friend’s girls, “And I just want to say, again, how incredibly sorry I am that I scared you before. I promise, it won’t _ever_ happen again.”

“All’s forgiven, buddy,” Chuck assured him.

“I also wanted you to know, I have given some thought about what you said that night, Chuck,” Morgan spoke earnestly, “As you know, Buy More has a credit reimbursement program if you go to college. I always wanted to work for a gaming company or something like that, so I have registered for some classes at the community college. I start in a few weeks.”

“That’s awesome!” Devon smiled approvingly at the smaller man.

“That is fantastic, Buddy, I am so proud of you!” Chuck beamed.

“Thanks, man,” Morgan nodded, “You were right, it was time. I already spoke to Big Mike, and he is going to schedule me closing shifts so that I can go to class in the morning. He even offered to pay for a small apartment so that I can study without being disturbed by him and my mom doing… whatever it is that they are doing behind closed doors that I do not even want to think about.”

“I feel you there, man,” Chuck nodded knowingly, “I’m glad he’s being so supportive of you.”

“Yeah,” Morgan nodded, “He said that he was wondering how long it was going to take for me to get my head out of my ass. I guess he’s always seen my potential, and never really wanted me to follow in his footsteps.” He chuckled, “’Son, I can’t tell ya how proud your Mama and I are of you, taking this step. I never wanted you to follow in my footsteps, you are meant for bigger and better things than the Buy More.’” He imitated his rotund manager turned step-father.

“Mom, couldn’t stop crying,” Morgan shrugged, “She kept repeating, ‘My baby, my baby!’ and then something in Spanish that I can only think had to do with being proud of her ‘mijo.’”

“I will never understand how you grew up with her and still managed to fail high school Spanish,” Chuck shook his head good-naturedly.

“Languages were never really my thing,” Morgan sighed, “Well aside from Klingon, but that was easy to learn.”

“Morgan you are truly multi-faceted abnormal,” Chuck laughed, “But I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

“Thanks, man,” Morgan smiled, taking a swig from his beer bottle, “Oh and I forgot to tell you the best part!”

“What’s that?” Chuck gave his friend an expectant look.

“I met a girl in the registrars office,” Morgan sounded bewildered at his luck, “She’s quirky, and funny, and God is she beautiful! Her name is Alex, I hope you don’t mind, but I invited her to join me tonight.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Ellie spoke up, she’d returned just as Morgan had announced he was going back to school, “You invited her to a party, but you didn’t pick her up?”

“I offered,” Morgan insisted, “But she knew that I had some fences to mend here first and didn’t want to get in the way of that. Besides, she just lives a couple blocks away and said that she would walk over.”

“Morgan,” Chuck sighed, “Consider your fences mended, now go give her a call and go pick her up.”

“Probably not a good idea,” Morgan admitted, “I’ve already drank half my beer, don’t want to risk drinking and driving.”

“You can walk with her,” Sarah pointed out.

Morgan looked stunned for a half a moment before standing up suddenly, “Be right back guys,” And with that he dashed out of the courtyard, cell phone to his ear. The group heard, “Hey Alex, don’t leave your house yet,” Before his voice faded out of earshot.

“Remind me, again, why you are friends with him?” Ellie huffed.

“I know he’s a bit of a social moron, but he’s slowly getting better,” Chuck shrugged, bouncing Molly on his knee.

“I’ll have to take your word on that,” Ellie shrugged, “At least he refrained from staring and hitting on me thus far, that’s a first.”

“See?” Chuck grinned, “Improvement!”

Ellie’s response was cut off by guests starting to trickle in. The group broke off, visiting with their various guests, many of whom cooed over Clara or Molly respectively. At some point, Morgan returned, a petite woman, just a few inches shorter than him on his arm. She was, admittedly beautiful with long dark hair that curled down from a high-set pony tail and pale aquamarine eyes that lit up as she spoke. It was clear, even without Morgan’s previous singing of her praises, that he was absolutely smitten with the woman. His own blue eyes never left her for long, and his grin grew larger every time he looked at her.

When Josie and Kevin arrived, Josie made a beeline to where Chuck and Sarah stood, talking to Morgan and Alex. Sarah noticed them first, a smile splitting her face as she pulled Josie into a hug, “My goodness, girl!” She gasped, looking at Josie’s now clearly pronounced stomach, “You can really tell you’re pregnant now!”

“It practically happened overnight,” Josie shrugged, bewildered, “I had just a little bump that could easily be hidden under my less form-fitting dresses, but I woke up the day after Christmas and, boom, Peanut decided to make itself known. Was it like that with you?”

“Not really,” Sarah shrugged, not elaborating, “Every mom is different.”

“True,” Josie nodded, “Oh, you remember Kevin?”

“Yes,” Chuck spoke up, shaking the other man’s hand, “It’s good to see you again, man. Devon and Ellie say you’re fitting in well over at Westside.”

“Some days more than others,” The doctor shrugged, “But it’s a good place to work, great benefits, and your sister and brother-in-law are phenomenal physicians, some would even say, Awesome.” This made the whole group laugh.

“Yeah well we don’t call them the Awesomes for nothing,” Chuck joked, “Josie, I’m glad you could make it, I have to say you are practically glowing. Motherhood suits you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Carm…” Josie blushed.

“Josie, we are off the clock and out of the office,” Chuck cut her off, “Please call me Chuck.”

“Alright then, Chuck,” Josie nodded, “Thank you for inviting us.” She spotted the little girl in his arms, “Oh my goodness, is this Molly?”

“Yeah,” Sarah grinned, looking between her friend and her family, “This is our Molly.”

“’Our?’” Josie whispered, “So, it’s true?”

“Some of it,” Chuck shrugged, “We are together, that we have a daughter, yes. Although I don’t know where the rumor that we defeated a Russian oligarch while Sarah was in labor came from…”

“Why would you be battling a Russian oligarch?” Morgan raised a questioning eyebrow to his best friend.

“I wouldn’t be,” Chuck shook his head, “Especially if Sarah was in labor. That’s kinda why the rumor is so outlandish.”

“I got ya,” Morgan nodded, then looked down at the beer in his hand, “Hey looks like I’m out, I’m gonna grab another beer, does anyone want anything while I’m over there?”

“I’m good, bud,” Chuck assured him.

“Red wine?” Sarah requested.

“I could use a brew,” Kevin shrugged then cast a look at his pregnant fiancée, “Is there anything non-alcoholic?”

“Yes, I made sure of it,” Sarah nodded, “There’s soda, as well as sparkling and flat water.”

“I’d take a sprite, if you have it,” Josie gave them a hopeful look.

“I could go for a refill on my wine too,” Alex shrugged, “I’ll go with you and help.”

Morgan gave her an appreciative smile as he turned and offered his arm to her as he escorted her toward the drinks station. “They may be a while,” Chuck watched the pair as they sifted through the ice bins, cooler, and bottles on the table as they searched for the requested beverages for the group as well as the appropriate vessels for them.

The music was just changing when the distinctive voice of one John Casey rang out over the crowd. “Kathy?” When Chuck and Sarah turned, they were shocked to find the good Major looking as if he’d seen a ghost. If the look on his face wasn’t enough, the look of confusion on Alex’s face really took the cake.

“No,” Alex shook her head, her eyes still searching the older man’s face as if looking for something, “My name is Alex.”

The shock on Casey’s face turned to something akin to disappointment, “My apologies, miss. You just look like someone I used to know.” He turned on his heel and walked away from the table in search of something to distract from the awkward interaction.

Before he could go too far, Alex spoke up, stopping him in his tracks, “My mother’s name is Kathleen, Kathleen McHugh, did you know her? Have we met before? You look so familiar.”

The bewildered look was back, as Casey turned to face the young woman again. “No, we’ve never met,” He spoke quietly, “You just look…”

Morgan, aware of the attention that was being drawn to them, softly addressed them both, “Perhaps this discussion should be continued elsewhere? Perhaps somewhere that you aren’t likely to be the main form of entertainment here?”

“Morgan’s right,” Alex agreed, “Do you want to maybe talk somewhere quieter, Mister…”

“Casey, John Casey,” The Marine responded automatically.

“Casey,” Chuck called out to him, handing Molly over to Sarah before striding over to stand by the larger man, close enough to speak softly, “You can use our apartment, if you want, it’s just over there. The front door is unlocked, and there’s a button under the left side of the coffee table that will secure the space, if you need it.”

“I appreciate it,” Casey nodded, “Miss McHugh, if you follow me, we can continue this conversation in private.”

“Okay,” Alex nodded, then turned to Morgan then back to the older man, “Do you mind if Morgan comes along?”

“Um, that might not be the best idea at the moment,” Chuck interjected, sensing that some of the discussion may stray into secure topics that Morgan should not be privy to.

“Chuck,” Morgan protested.

“Morgan, trust me on this,” Chuck gave him a look that allowed for no argument, “I think it’s better if Alex and Casey have a moment to speak privately. I’m sure she’ll tell you about it later.”

“I will,” Alex promised, “Mr. Casey, lead the way.”

Casey nodded and turned toward the apartment that Chuck had indicated, opening the door and pausing long enough to let the younger woman enter before him before walking through himself and closing the door behind them.

“Chuck, what was that all about?” Sarah spoke quietly as the music began to resume.

“I flashed on the name Kathleen McHugh,” Chuck sighed, “She was the fiancée of a Marine Lieutenant, First Class, Alex Coburn. He was reported dead 25 years ago and bears a striking resemblance to a young John Casey.”

“So, you mean…”

“I think Alex was named after her father,” Chuck finished, “And I’m pretty sure that Casey is him. Kathleen must have gotten pregnant just before he deployed.”

“Oh my God,” Sarah gasped, “What are the odds?”

“Improbable to pretty fracking unlikely,” Chuck shook his head bewildered. “But wouldn’t it be interesting if it turns out he really is her father?”

“I can’t imagine what he is going through,” Sarah shook her head, “Finding out you have a daughter you never known about. All those years, those milestones missed…”

“Yeah, that would suck,” Chuck nodded, “It’s bad enough we missed some of Molly’s first milestones, her coming to us the way she did, but to miss 25 years… wow.”

“If it turns out that that’s what happened, we have to be supportive of whatever he chooses to do.” Sarah advised, “Casey isn’t us; he may not want to be a part of Alex’s life after missing so much of it.”

“Oh please,” Chuck scoffed, “Of course he will. That man is loyal through and through. He is the epitome of God, Honor, Duty, Corps. You better believe he will feel honor and duty-bound to at least try to be part of her life going forward, assuming she’ll let him.”

“But until we know what, exactly, is going on, we should move forward as if nothing has changed,” Sarah pointed out.

“Agreed,” Chuck nodded, “Well, considering the next thing I wanted to be able to do was dance with my beautiful date, may I have this dance?” He held out his hand.

Kevin gestured to Sarah that he could hold onto Molly while the pair took a turn on the dance floor. Surprisingly enough, Molly willingly went to him. Knowing their daughter was in good hands, Sarah allowed Chuck to lead her out onto the dance floor where he quickly pulled her into his arms and began to two-step with her as the bars of ‘Wonderful Tonight’ by Eric Clapton played over the speakers. Sarah couldn’t help but smile up at her boyfriend as he softly sang along with the song while they swayed to the music.

Many of the guests had stopped and were watching the pair. Even Ellie and Devon were impressed at how smooth Chuck, clumsy, occasionally bumbling, frequently uncoordinated Chuck, was as he confidently led Sarah around the floor. As the song ended, Chuck spun Sarah out and then back into him for a low dip, amid cheers and whistles from the crowd. The couple looked at each other and then to their admirers, both blushing as Chuck guided her off the floor.

As soon as they reached Josie and Kevin, Chuck took Molly in his arms once more, “There’s my beautiful little girl,” He blew a raspberry against the little girl’s cheek, causing her to giggle. “Hey Kevin, why don’t you take Josie out for a spin across the floor?”

“While I can still fit in his arms, you mean?” Josie challenged, amusement in her eyes.

“Not at all,” Chuck smiled, “I just saw the two of you swaying to the music earlier and thought you might like to dance at some point.”

“You seriously want us to follow that?” Kevin gestured toward the dance floor where Chuck and Sarah had just exited.

“What?” Chuck grinned, “Are you not up for the challenge?”

Kevin laughed, “Oh, you are on, Chuck!” He offered his hand to Josie who giggled as he led her onto the floor where the DJ was playing ‘When a Man Loves a Woman.’

“Charles Irving Bartowski!” Ellie stormed up to them and punched her brother in the shoulder, “How did I not know you could move like that?!”

“Ow!” Chuck protested, despite it not hurting nearly as much as he played it up to be, “What was that for?”

“How did… where did you learn to do that?” Ellie demanded.

“I’m allowed my secrets, Elle,” Chuck teased, only to be cut off by a sharp look from his sister, “College, Jill wanted to take a ballroom class, but didn’t want to go alone, so she roped me into taking it with her. It fulfilled a PE credit, so I went along with it.”

“So, you are saying that you knew how to do that _before_ my wedding?” Ellie quirked an eyebrow at him, “And all I got out of you was the high school hug-n-rock?”

Chuck had the good sense to blush, “Yeah, I did.” He admitted.

“What am I gonna do with you?” Ellie rolled her eyes, “You are something else, little brother.”

“Thank you, Ellie,” He gave her an enigmatic smile.


	21. Chapter 21

Casey led the young woman into the house, closing and locking the door behind them. He gestured to the couch in the middle of the room and waited for her to sit before taking a seat in a nearby chair and leaning over to hit the button to secure the apartment. “I don’t even know where to start,” He half grunted, resting his forearms on his knees.

“The beginning would probably be good,” Alex shrugged, “How do you know my mom?”

“We were engaged… before,” Casey sat back a little, “I was about to be deployed, I loved your mother more than life itself, I wanted to marry her, but I had an obligation to my country and the corps. The plan was to go to Niagara Falls, propose, and if she wanted to, elope. I really wish that I had, at least then she, and I guess you, would have been taken care of after…” He paused a moment trying how to best explain what all had happened, “We never made it to the falls, the bus that was supposed to take us was canceled, so I wound up proposing in the Buffalo Depot. She said yes, we went to a hotel, and… you probably don’t want to hear about all that. Two days later I was on a plane to DC to check in with my unit for a last-minute debriefing before deployment.”

Casey looked at the girl for a long moment, studying her features, he saw a lot of Kathleen in her, but her eyes definitely came from his mom, and she had his same coloring. Her hair was dark like his too, “A few months in, I was selected to be seconded to the NSA as an operative, there was only one catch; Alex Coburn had to die.” He ran his fingers through his short hair, “If I’d known… I might have made another choice. I think your mom was about to tell me when my CO told me my phone time was up. I cannot tell you how sorry I am that I wasn't there for you and your mom. I know what it is to grow up without a dad.”

“So, what now?” Alex asked looking at the man she now knew to be her father.

“It’s completely up to you,” Casey shrugged, “The ball is completely in your court, I would understand if you never wanted to see me again.”

“I don’t even know what you call you,” Alex sighed.

“Most folks call me Casey,” He shrugged, “You can call me John for now, at least until we can find something else that works better for us.”

“Alright, John,” Alex nodded, “Well, considering I thought you were dead until tonight, it’s very nice to meet you.”

“Considering I didn’t know you existed until tonight, it’s very nice to meet you, Alex,” Casey gave her a small smile.

“Did you just make a joke?” Alex’s eyebrows shot up.

“I reckon I did,” He gave a small chuckle, “Maybe I’ll warm to this father thing faster than I thought I would, considering I never thought I would ever be one.”

“Even when you proposed to Mom?” Alex tilted her head to the side.

“It was still too new to think about,” Casey shook his head, “I suppose I wouldn’t have been objected to the idea if things had been different back then, but after Lieutenant Coburn died, the typical American Dream of the house with the wife, dog, and 2.5 died with him.”

“Sounds like a lonely life,” Alex’s voice softened.

“It’s not so bad as all that,” Casey shrugged, “Excitement, travel, and three squares a day to protect this great nation so that Joe Schlub can have that, seemed alright for me. I’m not saying that making that choice between love and love of country was easy for me, it wasn’t, but I thought it was for the best. I always felt like your mom could do so much better than me anyhow.”

“Better than a military hero?” Alex gave him an incredulous look, “Unlikely. She did try, a few times, but nothing ever seemed to work out, so it’s always just been the two of us. She loved you so much, still has your picture and flag on the mantle.”

“They gave her my flag?” Casey looked mildly surprised, “I’m glad to hear it.”

“She said that Nana insisted,” Alex gave him a small smile, “Said that, to her, Mom was your wife in all ways but one. I don’t remember her much I know that I knew her but…”

“You would have been maybe four when she passed,” Casey did the quick calculation in his head, “I wasn’t able to come to her funeral, I was in deep cover at the time, my CO told me when I returned. I’m glad you got to meet her, though.”

“I still have the baby blanket Nana made me when she found out that Mom was pregnant,” Alex nodded, “It’s in my hope chest. Mom said that she doted on me and that we were inseparable when she came around. I wish I could remember her.”

“That sounds like Mom,” Casey gave a small grin, “Always with extra love to give, she used to send me these hats when I was at Annapolis. I remember there was this one she sent me one Christmas, some striped orange and yellow thing with earflaps I loved it, thought it looked quite cunning. The cadets called me ‘Candy’ for months after that, seeing as the thing resembled that old-fashioned candy corn.”

Alex couldn’t help but laugh at the image it drummed up. “I can imagine.”

“Enough about me, tell me about you.” Casey looked at his daughter, “What is it you do?”

“Well, I work at the Pie Shack while I’m working on my criminology degree at Coastline,” Alex explained, “We couldn’t afford for me to go to a university for all four years, so I’ve been working and going to school, I have one semester to go for my Associates degree then I’m planning to transfer to UC-Irvine in the fall. I haven’t quite decided what I want to do from there, Law School or Forensics maybe? To be honest, it will come down to what I can afford.”

“I can help with that,” Casey suggested.

“No, John, it’s okay,” Alex shook her head, “I don’t want your money.”

“Not what I meant,” John countered, “You’re the child of a military officer, whether I’m alive or dead makes no difference. You can get a partial or full scholarship because of it.”

Alex stared at him for a moment before speaking again, “I didn’t know I qualified, since mom and I were never declared your dependents.”

“We’d have to look into it,” Casey shrugged, “But I think my name on your birth certificate is qualification enough. My name is on your birth certificate, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Alex nodded, “Mom made sure of it, only reason she didn’t give me your last name, or rather your former last name, was that she didn’t want any confusion due to her name and mine being different.”

“I get it,” Casey assured her, pulling out his wallet and removing a card from within, “You can contact me here, if you need more for the scholarship stuff, or if you want to see me again.”

“I would like that,” Alex nodded.

“I would too,” He answered honestly, “I suppose I’ve kept you long enough, I should let you get back to the party.”

Alex nodded and stood, Casey hit the button under the coffee table to release the security protocols and stood as well, following his daughter to the door, “One last thing before you go. The guy I saw you with?”

“My boyfriend, Morgan,” Alex supplied.

“Is he worthy of you?”

“So that’s the way it’s gonna be?” Alex raised a challenging eyebrow at him. Casey paused for a moment, that same look always was able to stop him in his tracks when her mother sent it his way. “Zero to overprotective father in .32 seconds?”

“I… Well…”

“Relax, John, I was joking,” Alex smiled up at him, “He’s a good guy, he treats me well. Mom’s met him and approves. He can be a bit immature sometimes, but what guy in his 20’s isn’t? He’s the assistant manager at a chain electronics store and is going to start toward his degree in Business Administration with a minor in Graphic Design. He and his best friend always talked about starting their own gaming company, I guess this is his first step toward his side of that goal.”

Casey grunted his understanding, “If he ever gets out of line…”

“I’ll handle it,” Alex assured him, “And if I can’t, I’ll call in the Marines.”

Alex gave her father a brilliant smile before exiting the apartment and walking over to where her boyfriend stood, giving him a peck on the cheek. Casey stood stunned at the young woman a mix of pride and mild regret over missing her formative years washed over him. He never thought he could have it all, but maybe he could. He saw the look of adoration the young bearded man gave to his daughter and resolved to speak to Bartowski about the man when the office opened again. No harm in vetting the little hobbit, make sure he’s worthy of his little girl. Shaking his head to clear it of the thoughts swirling away within, he exited Bartowski’s apartment and made a bee line to the bar to grab a beer. He might have to check out what was in those crock pots, something had set his nose twitching and mouth watering for a taste.

“How’d the talk go?” Morgan asked quietly, slipping his arm over his girlfriend’s shoulder.

“As well as can be expected,” Alex shrugged, “I have no doubt in my mind he is who he says he is. He wants to be a part of my life, if I let him.”

“And do you want him to be?” He looked down at her.

“I think so,” Alex nodded, “It’s all so overwhelming. I mean for 25 years Mom and I thought he was dead.” She went pale and her eyes widened, “Oh God, Mom. She doesn’t know!”

“Babe, I like your mom and all,” Morgan pulled her against his chest and lifted her chin so that his eyes met hers, “But I think it’s okay to keep this to yourself until you decided if you want him to be in your life. No reason to stir up all the drama that is bound to follow needlessly.”

“Yeah,” She rested her head on his shoulder, “I guess you’re right. I mean the news will be just as shocking a month from now as it would if I were to tell her tomorrow.”

“Just take your time,” Morgan advised, “If you decide that you want a relationship with him, then we can sit down with your mom and tell her that her fiancé and the father of her only child isn’t dead after all.”

“What would you do if your dad came back?” Alex lifted her head once more.

“That’s different,” Morgan shook his head, “My father was a bastard who beat his wife; leaving was the only good thing he ever did for us. In the end, Mom and I wound up with a better life. A couple years after I started high school, she met Big Mike and they got married. He got me a job at Buy More first as an after-school job then to help me get on my feet until I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. I don’t know the circumstances surrounding your father leaving your mom, and you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to or can’t, but something tells me that it wasn’t for selfish reasons.”

“You’re right,” Alex nodded, “From what he told me, he was basically forced to choose between the woman he loved and the country he loved. It came down to protecting one or two people or protecting a whole nation. I’m proud that he’s my dad, doesn’t make it any easier knowing that he wasn’t there but could have been had he made another choice.”

“You know you don’t have to make a decision right now,” Morgan reminded her, “You can relax, enjoy the rest of the party, and tomorrow start on what you want to do with this new information once it isn’t so fresh in your mind.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” She sighed, leaning her head against Morgan’s shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her.

“So, milady, pick your poison; drinks or dancing?” Morgan gave her a bright smile.

Alex stopped and considered, finding that the deejay was playing an upbeat tune, she smiled at her boyfriend, “Dancing, definitely,” She nodded.

“Your wish is my command,” Morgan stepped in front of her bowing regally and extending his hand to her with a theatrical flick of his wrist.

“You are such a nerd!” She giggled, placing her hand in his.

“Why, yes I am,” Morgan tucked Alex’s hand in the crook of his elbow as he gave her a winsome grin, “Thank you for noticing.”

The party went on for a few more hours, Morgan and Chuck even switched partners and danced with his friend’s date so as to vet the potential mate of their best friend. Morgan quickly realized that Sarah was a good match for Chuck. She was beautiful, inside and out, graceful, and was just the right mix of daring and passionate to pull his friend out of his shell once in a while. Chuck, likewise, was nothing but complementary of Alex, her parentage notwithstanding, she was just the right amount of pretty to be both attractive, but not overwhelming to his best friend. She was intelligent, with a quick wit, and didn’t suffer fools easily. Chuck could see her helping and alternately pushing Morgan to fully embrace adulthood without robbing him of the youthful exuberance that was Morgan’s essence.

At about a quarter to midnight, the two couples hosting the party came to stand next to the deejay booth in front of a large screen. The deejay handed Chuck a microphone and nodded that the sound was set. “Good evening ladies and gentlemen, mesdames et messieurs, damen und herren,” This got a small chuckle from some of the guests, “On behalf of our family, we would like to thank you for joining us tonight to ring in the new year. Some of you we have known for years,” He nodded to Morgan and a few other long-time friends of his sister’s and Devon’s, “And others are a little bit newer to us. We invite you all to grab a glass of champagne, or sparkling cider if you do not wish to imbibe, to ring in the new year and toast to friends and family old and new.

“We will be showing the ball drop on the screen behind us in a few minutes, and as I’m sure many of you have already noticed we do have some party poppers scattered around the courtyard. We do have one small favor to ask, since we have a couple children under the age of two sleeping,” He nodded toward Clara’s bedroom window, “We do ask that you keep your celebration to a dull roar. While they have both proven they can sleep through a freight train, we’d rather not tempt fate,” This elicited more chuckles from the group, “So, in case we can’t get to everyone by the end of this shindig, thank you for coming, Happy New Year, and best wishes for the year to come.”

The guests clapped softly as the projector powered up and began to display the west-coast rerun of the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve from Times Square. A couple of Devon’s frat buddies took it upon themselves to serve as the bartenders, making sure everyone got the drink they wanted for when the clock struck midnight. Chuck and Sarah stood off to the side, with Devon and Ellie on one side and Morgan and Alex on the other, quietly chatting as the clock neared ever closer to midnight. Soon the countdown started in earnest.

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year!” Everyone cried quieter than they normally would have so as to not wake the little girls sleeping just above their heads. The click of plastic champagne glasses could be heard as everyone toasted to the new year and exchanged kisses and hugs with loved ones, friends, and family. Once the wave of celebration began to fade, the deejay started to play slower music as a few couples took the floor to dance. Within an hour everyone who wanted to had taken a spin or two around the floor to end their night and had headed out the gate leading from the courtyard to the parking lot.

Ellie noticed Chuck and Sarah walking around the area with plastic bags, collecting the trash that had fallen to the wayside throughout the party, “Guys, go to bed, we can take care of this in the morning, okay?” She gently took the bags from their hands and set them next to the fountain while Devon paid and tipped the deejay for his time.

“Alright Elle,” Chuck nodded, wrapping his arm around Sarah’s shoulders and trying to suppress a yawn, “We’ll see you in the morning to get Molly and clean up.”

“Why don’t you come over around 10 and we can have brunch,” She suggested.

“Sounds like a plan, Sis,” Chuck nodded, “You should get to sleep to, and for once, try not to be too Awesome tonight. We can’t deal with the competition.”

Ellie rolled her eyes at her younger brother, “Did you really just…”

“Yeah, I creeped myself out with that,” He gave a wry chuckle, “Goodnight Elle.”

“Good night, Chuck, Sarah,” Ellie gave them one last hug and headed toward her apartment where her husband stood waiting for her. The older man gave the younger couple one of his trademark smiles and ducked inside his apartment behind his wife. As soon as they heard the lock click, Sarah and Chuck made their way over to their own place, making sure that all doors and windows were locked for the night.

“As beautiful and sexy as you look, I don’t think I can do you any justice tonight,” Chuck gave Sarah a small smile.

“Oh, believe me, I’m with you,” She nodded, “I think all I’m capable of right now is getting undressed and crawling into bed.”

“Does this mean naked sleepy time?” Chuck gave her a hopeful look that reminded her of a child awaiting a much desired present.

“Well, Molly is at your sister’s, we are by ourselves, you do the math,” She gave him a sly smile as she turned her back to him, slowly removing one layer at a time as she crossed the floor to their bed. By the time she got to her side, all she had left were her bra and panties, she lifted the covers and slid underneath. Chuck could see her moving slightly under the blanket and couldn’t help but grin when her hand reappeared, her matching dark green bra and panty set delicately held by her thumb and forefinger before she released her grip and let them fall to the floor, “You coming?”

“Two can play this game,” He grinned at her, giving her the patented Bartowski eyebrow dance as he did his own strip tease, toeing off his shoes and socks before stripping off his sweater, shirt and jeans as Sarah’s eyes danced at the display. Clad only in his boxers, he slipped under the covers and quickly removed his last article of clothing, “Now, Miss Walker, I believe I was promised some naked sleepy time.”

“I don’t believe I actually promised you that,” She moved closer to him, slipping into his arms, “But seeing as we are both naked, in bed, and tired, I think it can be arranged.” She pushed up slightly until her lips found his, “I love you Chuck.”

“I love you too, Sarah,” He gave her a soft smile as she settled against his chest, letting the rhythm of his heart and the feel of his fingers playing with her soft waves lull her to sleep. He soon followed her into slumber.


	22. Chapter 22

Mid-March came quickly, bringing with it the warmer weather that southern California was known for. The early part of the year had been relatively quiet, but with steady work from both their private and government contracts. Word was getting around that Carmichael CyberSecurity was the team to hire. The business was now doing well enough to support itself, even to the point that it would be able to survive even if it separated from its clandestine roots.

Just as the business was thriving, so was Chuck and Sarah’s life together. Molly had finally learned how to say ‘Mama’ but was still a daddy’s girl, something that thrilled Chuck to no end while alternately humoring and frustrating Sarah as her legal guardian. Their daughter was already climbing and trying to get on her feet, as if the little girl was anxious to get past her crawling stage. She loved holding onto Chuck’s hands and attempting to balance on unsteady feet whether she was on solid ground or using her father’s lap as a stage. As if he hadn’t already thrown himself head-first into parenthood, Chuck had embraced his role of Daddy for the little girl. He couldn’t imagine loving her more if she was biologically his.

Molly’s birthday was fast approaching, and Sarah was in party planner mode. Josie was also due within the next few months, so that was on the forefront of her mind as well. She was hoping to, with the assistance of Ellie, throw a party for Molly and a shower for Josie. She was going over ideas for both as Chuck pulled into the underground parking of their office.

“What are you thinking about?” Chuck raised an eyebrow at her as he turned off the ignition and stepped out of the door.

“Nothing much,” She shrugged, smiling her thanks to her boyfriend as he stood, holding the car door open for her. “Molly’s first birthday is next month, so I was thinking that it might be nice if Ellie and I put our heads together to throw a party for her, even if it is just family.”

“I think Ellie would love it if you included her,” Chuck smiled, pressing the button on the elevator, “I’m actually really happy you two have become so close, considering your first meeting.”

“She was just trying to be a good older sister and protect you,” Sarah assured him, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek as the doors opened before them. “We’ve since bonded over motherhood, and as bad as it might sound, Molly getting sick when I was on my trip after Thanksgiving helped with that.”

“However it happened, I’m just glad that it did,” Chuck shrugged.

“Me too,” Sarah nodded, “Josie gets along with her pretty well, too.”

“I’ve noticed,” He chuckled, “You make quite the trio.”

“Well, we’re the only moms we know, aside from our own,” Sarah shrugged, “And are experiencing different stages, but our children aren’t too far apart in age. Clara is only eight months older than Molly, and Molly will be about 13 or 14 months older than Josie and Kevin’s baby. It’s just nice to have friends who are going through some of the same stuff we are.”

“Hey, I’m not knocking it,” Chuck assured her, “I mean when the three of you go out for coffee, or your female bonding days, Awesome, Kevin, and I usually are hanging out too. Usually we catch a game or get a drink or something, Morgan is often with us too. I missed having that guy time when I was in Europe. So, you aren’t the only one benefiting from our mutual friends and family hanging out.”

“I was thinking about throwing a small shower for Josie,” Sarah suggested as the elevator opened and they stepped out onto the floor where their office was located, “Since she doesn’t really have family here. Nothing too fancy; her, obviously, me, Ellie, maybe Alex and some ladies from the office and hospital.”

“She’d probably really enjoy that,” Chuck nodded, opening the door, “And you know Ellie would love to get in on that, too if you asked her.”

“I was planning to,” Sarah shrugged off her coat and draped it over the back of her chair as she continued to talk, “She has the larger living room anyhow.” She opened a drawer in the bottom of her desk and put her purse away, locking the drawer before grabbing a file from another drawer while Chuck waited patiently. Once her arrival routine was completed, she crossed to the door and passed her badge over the sensor to grant them both access to the inner office.

“Ah, so the motivation is revealed,” Chuck teased, unlocking the door to his private office and pulling her inside. He set his brief case on his desk and removed some files as he waited for his computer to boot up. The process moving him from playful boyfriend into work mode, “So anything I need to be aware of coming up?”

Sarah opened the file in her hand and took a seat in one of the chairs across the desk. She briefed him on their current and upcoming projects both in the private and public sectors. They discussed who to assign to the upcoming projects as well as the fact that Josie’s light duty would be starting soon, which meant she would no longer be available to perform off-site security evaluations and would be restricted to desk duty for the remainder of her pregnancy. “I would suggest, slowly cutting back on her off-site assignments over the next couple weeks while she transitions to exclusively desk duty,” Sarah advised.

“I think that might be a good idea,” Chuck nodded thoughtfully, “It’ll give her time to adjust, as well as the team to adjust to not having her in the field. That way when her maternity leave starts in earnest, it won’t be such a blow to the team’s productivity.”

“Agreed,” Sarah nodded, making a few notes in her file, “Okay and last up, Beckman called an all-staff briefing for 08:00 local.”

“Did she mention what it was pertaining to?” Chuck raised his eyebrows.

“Does she ever? She just said that it was an urgent matter that would affect the team,” Sarah shrugged. “I’ll go start the coffee and then send out an email to the team to inform them of the briefing.”

“It might be more expedient to have everyone report directly to the conference room,” Chuck suggested.

“Or at least let them know to drop their things at their desk and then report to the conference room.” Sarah countered, rising from her chair.

“You have a point,” Chuck smiled, standing as well and rounding the desk. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a kiss, “I wanted to make sure we started the day off right.” He gave her a soft smile, “And in case I didn’t say it before, you look beautiful today.”

Sarah blushed slightly as she straightened her boyfriend’s tie, “You ain’t half bad yourself, Mr. Carmichael. I love you.”

“I love you too, Baby,” He pressed one more kiss to her lips. “Okay I’ll leave you to your coffee making. I have to go make sure the equipment is set up for the briefing.”

“Good morning, team,” General Beckman greeted from the screen in the conference room where the team had gathered. “We have a new mission for you. Agent Jim Yaeger,” The screen split with the video feed on the right and a stock picture of Agent Yaeger on the left, “Missing for an over a year but presumed to be deep undercover, although we have no paperwork to support that information, resurfaced. We have tried to extract information about his assignment from him, but the task has proven… challenging.”

“Do you want me to take a crack at him?” Casey offered from the corner where he stood, at attention, as he always did during these briefings.

“I don’t know that it would do any good,” Beckman shook her head and uplinked a video of Agent Yaeger, strapped to a bed with restraints, “His mental state seems fragile at best. His last confirmed location comes from a phone call made from a relatively new subdivision in Sherman Oaks.” The video of Yaeger was replaced by a cinderblock wall and a sign reading Meadow Branch, “A house in one of the cul-de-sacs has recently hit the market. Agents Carmichael and Walker, you will be posing as a young newlywed couple looking for your first home. We do not want to arouse suspicion, so you will need to go through the standard escrow process. Expect this to be a long-term assignment.”

“General,” Sarah spoke up, “A long-term undercover assignment may prove rather prohibitive considering…”

“Agent Walker, we are well aware of your situation and see no reason why your child cannot join you as this is meant to be an observe and report assignment.” The general frowned, “We do not anticipate any danger so long as you and Agent Carmichael watch each other’s backs. If the situation becomes too dangerous, we expect you will find suitable arrangements for your child.”

“Understood,” Sarah nodded.

“We will be sending you your dossiers for your covers,” Beckman advised, “As Agent Walker’s child will be with you, we will need to make the suitable adjustments to the covers. You should receive the information within 12 hours, along with information on where to retrieve your new documents. Are there any questions?”

“I have a few,” Chuck raised his hand, “As you mentioned, this will be a potentially long-term assignment. As the house, assuming we win the bid will be for all intents and purposes, our home, will we have a say in how it is decorated? Also, would it be acceptable for us to enlist the services of a professional photographer?”

“Professional photographer?” The general echoed back, “To what purpose?”

“No offence to the joint CIA and NSA support teams, but their photoshop game won’t cut it for a long-term assignment.” Chuck shrugged in faux apology for the statement, “I propose that you allow us the services of a photographer for a day or two so that we may have realistic photos to display within the house, to augment the photos we already have by way of our standing cover.”

General Beckman stared at him for several long moments as she mulled over his suggestion, “Very well, permission granted for the photographer. As far as the other decorations, furniture, and equipment needed for the operation, please submit all requests by Friday of next week at 17:00 Eastern Standard Time.” She then turned her eyes to the other members of the team, “The rest of you will be serving in support roles for the duration of this mission. Some of your assignments will not be much different from what you do now, however there will be some on-site support required in various ways to secure the legitimacy of Agents Walker and Carmichael’s covers. If there is nothing else,” With that she cut the feed.

“Alright,” Chuck turned to his team, “Until we receive further parameters for the upcoming assignment, we will press forward with business as usual. We will be making some minor changes over the next few weeks, independent of Sarah and my upcoming assignment. Josie, I want you to take Brody with you and slowly start handing over your off-site inspections to him, you have two weeks to fully withdraw from off-site jobs and transition to your light duty assignment. We want to make sure that little one is safe.”

“Understood,” Josie nodded, running her hand absent-mindedly over her stomach.

“Alright, that is it for now,” Chuck stood, “Watch your emails as we do have some contracts coming over from the private sector as well as changes based on the new team assignment. As soon as we have more for you, information or assignments, we will contact you. Have a good day, and as always, any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any current or upcoming assignments, you can always address them to Sarah or myself.”

The team quickly disbursed and set about working on their projects. At 16:00, they day was beginning to wind down. Sarah was talking with the representatives for a local accounting firm looking to contract with Carmichael CyberSecurity to protect their web interface and intranet when she heard a ding from her email. She thanked the men for their visit and secured her station to access the server which housed the interdepartmental communication for their team. Seeing that the email was addressed to both her and Chuck, and knowing that there would be no more visitors, she shut down her station, gathered her things and headed to Chuck’s office.

Chuck was absorbed in the report he was reviewing when Sarah stepped into his door frame. She couldn’t help the soft smile that spread across her lips when she noticed the pair of glasses he wore when working intensely on the computer. She thought they made him look the perfect mix of adorable, handsome, and downright sexy. Pushing up from the doorframe she knocked lightly on the open door. Chuck immediately looked up, taking the glasses off and folding them as he gave her a warm smile.

“Hey, you,” He greeted her, “What can I do you for?”

“Well that’s a loaded question if I ever heard one,” She gave him a sultry smile as she closed the door behind her, “For you, it will only cost your unending love and devotion.”

“Tempting offer,” Chuck stood and wrapped her in his arms, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, “But something tells me that isn’t the reason you decided to relocate to my office for the rest of the day.” He nodded toward her purse and jacket which she’d set on the sofa. “Although I wouldn’t mind if it was the reason.”

Sarah laughed as he gave her the patented Bartowski eyebrow dance, “Later, Casanova, business first. Our cover dossiers came over.”

“Really?” Chuck’s eyebrows shot up as he rounded his desk and pulled up the secure email server, “I didn’t hear it come in. Have you looked at it yet?”

“No, not yet,” Sarah shook her head, taking a seat across from him, “I figured we could look at it together and come up with an action plan.”

“Well, no time like the present,” Chuck shrugged, opening Beckman’s email and sending the files to his tablet for them to review.

Once all the files were transferred, they relocated to the sofa. Chuck sat at the end while Sarah sat next to him, kicking off her pumps and curling her legs up beside her as she looked over his shoulder. The cover was pretty standard, Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Sarah Danvers, Married two years with a nearly one-year-old daughter, Molly. Charles was a self-made tech mogul, and Sarah was a homemaker and stay-at-home mom. This allowed Chuck to bring information to and from the office while Sarah maintained daytime observation; they would both provide observation in the evening and the majority of their team would take turns on overnight monitoring.

“Since I am supposed to be Suzy Homemaker for the duration of this mission,” Sarah leaned her head against her boyfriend’s shoulder, “And Josie has to be on light duty, what do you think about her taking over my position here? She is personable enough to greet incoming clients, and it’s an easy position to return to if she still has to do it after her maternity leave is up. Not to mention the personal assistant part of the job is pretty easy and we know you won’t take advantage of her.”

“Hey,” Chuck protested.

“I meant professionally,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “We all know you wouldn’t do _that_.”

“Good,” Chuck nodded, “I think that idea should work, shall we brief the team?”

“Not yet,” Sarah shook her head, “There is one thing that gives me pause with this, okay maybe two.”

“What’s that?” Chuck looked down at her, pressing a soft kiss to the crown of her head.

“What will happen if things become dangerous too quick for us to get Molly to a safe place?” Sarah gave him a concerned look.

“I don’t think it will escalate that quickly,” Chuck shrugged, “But even if it does, we will have Casey or someone near enough to be able to perform an extraction if needed. Or, if our cover isn’t blown, you could ‘leave me’ to go stay with your mom and take Molly with you.”

“Good point,” Sarah relented, “What about the parties? If we are going to be in a house, it might have a larger living area than your sister’s, meaning that I’d probably move Molly’s birthday and Josie’s shower to ‘our’ house.”

“I’m failing to see the problem,” Chuck gave her a curious look.

“Are you kidding?” She sat up at looked at him wiggling the fingers of her left hand at him, “Are you forgetting that we are posing as a married couple? What will your sister think if we are both wearing wedding bands for the sake of the cover, or the photos you suggested we take and display?”

“Well there are a few options,” A thoughtful look crossed Chuck’s face, “We can remove or relocate the items so as to not arouse her suspicions.”

“But the neighbors might see us without the rings or putting the pictures out of sight.” Sarah countered.

“We can tell her that the original photo session is for a friend and we liked the photos so much, we decided to hang them on our wall until we are ready to take that step and therefore replace the fake photos with real ones,” Chuck suggested.

“You are forgetting one important detail with that,” Sarah gave him a small smile, “Your sister is not an idiot.”

“We could tell her we eloped?” Chuck suggested, “Or that we got engaged and I wanted a ring too.”

“Yeah, that will go over well,” Sarah scoffed, “And you know if we tell her we’re engaged, she is going to want to start planning. There’s no way we can un-ring that bell.” She gave him a serious look, “You know at some point, you will have to tell her what we really do for a living.”

“Ellie would kill me if she knew I worked for the CIA,” Chuck protested, “Hell, she’d kill me if she found out that I didn’t insist you quit the CIA when we became official for the sake and safety of Molly.”

“Give her a little more credit than that,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “True, she may not be too happy you’ve lied to her for the past several years as to the nature of your job, but I think in the end she would be proud of you. Not to mention, if she knows what is going on, she can’t inadvertently blow our cover.”

Chuck sighed and leaned back on the couch, laying his head on the back, “Maybe you’re right. I’ll think about it.”

“You might want to think quickly,” Sarah suggested, “I think it would be a good idea to get her in on the photo session to lend some credibility to the back story. I mean, why would we get married without her there?”

“True,” Chuck nodded, “Give me some time to mull it over, okay?”

“Alright,” Sarah nodded, “I’ll go call everyone to the conference room to address the mission.”

“I’ll see you in there,” Chuck nodded as Sarah stood, pressing a soft kiss to his lips before exiting the room to start gathering the staff together. Chuck stood slowly, stretching his back before crossing back to his desk to pull on his suit jacket and straighten his tie before heading to the large conference room to address his staff.

~~~~~~~~~

“Good morning, Beautiful,” Chuck beamed at his girlfriend as she stumbled into the kitchen and robotically poured herself a cup of coffee. Once it was doctored to her liking, she sat at the kitchen table and took a long sip from the hot liquid, closing her eyes as she felt the caffeine hit her system. She gave her daughter, who was seated in her highchair munching on pieces of pancake, a kiss as Chuck entered, carrying two plates stacked high with pancakes in his hands. He set one down in front of her, accepting a thankful kiss from Sarah.

“Good morning, handsome,” She beamed to him as he took his seat. They made quick work of adding butter and syrup to their pancakes and digging into the breakfast that Chuck had skillfully made. By the time the adults were finished eating, Molly had taken to playing with the last pieces of pancake, reducing them to a mushy, sticky mess she was content to spread all across her tray and body. Much to Sarah’s relief, Chuck had anticipated this and had stripped the little girl down to her diaper.

“Okay, Little Miss, let’s get you into a bath.” She picked up the little girl and walked down the hall toward the bathroom.

Chuck cleaned up the kitchen and the dishes from their breakfast, by the time Sarah was done with Molly’s bath and had the little girl swaddled in a hooded towel with little bear ears on it and ‘beary cute’ printed on the back. “All fresh and clean, huh?” He smiled at his girls, kissing first Molly’s cheek then Sarah’s lips. “I’m going to hop in the shower really quick so I can keep an eye on her while you get ready.”

“Sounds good,” Sarah agreed and continued into Molly’s room to get the girl dressed for the day. She smiled as she noticed that Chuck had already laid out an outfit for the little girl. Sarah made quick work of dressing Molly in a white long-sleeved t-shirt that boasted ‘Daddy’s little Angel’ with a stylized ‘A’ with a halo circling the top point on the front, a pair of jeans, socks, and pair of small red all-stars. “Of course, your daddy chose these shoes. I think we need to let him know that girls have so many other options for shoes.” Sarah chuckled, causing Molly to beam up at her mother. “Alright, Baby Girl, let’s go see if Daddy is ready to go.”

Sarah scooped her daughter up in her arms and carried her back to the master bedroom where they found Chuck dressed in a lilac colored polo shirt, tan chinos, and a pair of casual brown suede oxfords.

“What did you do?” Sarah chuckled at his outfit, “Raid Awesome’s closet?”

“Well isn’t it two of the most beautiful girls in the world?” He gave them one of his winning smiles, “And in answer to your question, no. Although his sense of style did cross my mind as I picked out these duds, you gotta admit, he does dress kinda preppy.”

“True,” Sarah shrugged, “Hey, if you’re ready, could you keep an eye on her while I get dressed?”

“Of course,” Chuck nodded, standing from the bed and accepting Molly into his arms, “Go make yourself beautiful… although, I’m not sure how you can improve on perfection.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Sarah rolled her eyes and gave him a kiss before disappearing into the bathroom.

By the time Sarah was showered, and ready to go, Chuck had put together Molly’s day bag and was sitting on the couch with Molly dozing in his lap as she leaned against his chest while he softly read from ‘The Lorax’. He heard Sarah’s footsteps in the hall and turned to see her, she wore a pale blue blouse and a white and light blue floral knee length skirt, she’d paired the outfit with nude peep toe wedges and had a blue headband in her hair, pulling her blonde hair out of her face for the day. “Hey Baby, you look beautiful,” He smiled and closed the book, laying it on the coffee table before shifting Molly in his arms and standing to his full height. “Ready to go house hunting?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Sarah shrugged, “The realtor will meet us there.”

“Alright, let’s load up, I’ll give Anne a call to let her know to expect us soon,” Chuck nodded, shouldering Molly’s bag and opening the front door to allow Sarah to pass in front of him. “Thank goodness Ellie and Awesome are both working today, I really don’t want to explain the outfits to them.”

“We could always tell them we are going golfing.” Sarah joked as Chuck locked the door and followed her to the Prius that they had gotten from the local motor pool to use during their mission. Chuck had moved Molly’s car seat from his car to the Prius the previous night so that they could just drive it out to the ‘burbs after they dropped Molly off with the sitter.

“Cute,” Chuck rolled his eyes, pressing the buttons on the key remote to unlock the doors and pop the trunk. Sarah took the bag from his shoulder and stored it in the trunk while he got Molly situated in her car seat. They pulled into Anne’s driveway a short time later and made their way up the walkway. They didn’t even have to knock before the door flew open.

“Well you two look awfully nice for a Saturday morning,” Anne gave the couple a warm smile.

“Thank you,” Sarah smiled, as they followed the woman into the house, “We should only be a few hours, thank you again for watching Molly.”

“It’s really no problem at all, we’re between sports seasons right now, so no games to go to for the kids or grandkids,” Anne shrugged, “Besides, you pay me to be at your beck and call 24/7. I am getting paid for this, right?”

“Yes,” Chuck smirked and shook his head at her joke, Molly had woken up shortly after entering the house, so he placed her on the floor of the living room and watched as she crawled over to the toy bins and pull herself up using the side of one, ensuring her balance with her right hand, she reached in and began tossing a few toys over her shoulder with her left hand. “Does she always do that?”

“That’s a recent development,” Anne shrugged, “But common for little ones at that age.”

“We really should be going,” Sarah walked over to her daughter, picked her up, and planted a kiss on her chubby cheek before tipping her to the side for Chuck to do the same before putting her back down to enjoy the toy chaos she’d just created. “Anne, thank you once again. With any luck, this shouldn’t take too long.”

“Take your time,” Anne guided them toward the door.

Chuck took Sarah’s hand in his as they walked down the drive to the Prius, “Oh, I have something for you,” He stopped before opening the passenger door and pulled a small, black, velvet box from his pocket and opened it so that Sarah could see the contents. Inside, laying on a small satin pillow, was a beautiful platinum and diamond wedding set with an eternity wedding band, the engagement ring had a cushion set diamond with a halo of smaller diamonds set around it and halfway down both sides of the ring. Laying next to the set was a slightly larger and thicker platinum ring with a band of diamonds inset around the circumference of the band.

“Chuck,” Sarah gasped, “Are those real?”

“Yes,” He confirmed, lifting the two delicate rings from the box and closing it before palming it and gesturing for her to give him her left hand. His eyes never broke contact with hers as he slid first the wedding band and then the engagement ring over her slender fingers. Sarah was surprised at how well the rings fit her hand and was a higher-class version of a set she could see herself wearing one day. “Considering where we will be going, I thought it would be prudent to go with the real deal rather than the silver and CZ variation we wore last fall.”

“Very smart, Mr. Danvers,” She smiled. Chuck opened the ring box once more and held it out to her. She pulled the larger ring out, surprised at the weight of the new rings both the one in her hand and the ones now sitting and winking in the early morning light from her left ring finger. The ring went on smoothly, not even catching on his knuckle as the other ring had.

Chuck once more closed the box and slid it into his pocket before reclaiming both her hands in his, kissing the backs of both. “I would be remiss if I didn’t say that as lovely as these rings are, you far outshine them.”

“You just want to ensure you get lucky,” Sarah teased, looking up at his face which practically glowed with adoration as he looked upon her.

“Oh, I already did, many times over,” Chuck countered, “And not just in the way you mean. From the day we met I have been the luckiest man alive to have you and Molly in my life. I love you so incredibly much.”

“I love you too,” Sarah raised up on her toes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

“Alright, now we really ought to be going before we are so late the realtor leaves,” Chuck opened the door and handed her into her seat, closing the passenger door behind her and walking around the vehicle to slide behind the wheel. “Alright Mrs. Danvers. Let’s go see a gal about a house.”

It only took about 45 minutes in the weekend traffic to arrive in the subdivision that held the vacant home. The realtor was standing by the garage door checking her watch as they pulled in. The realtor looked only slightly miffed over having to wait for their arrival, but that soon dissipated when Chuck and Sarah got out of the car and Chuck put forth his charm in maximum force. Soon the realtor was eating out of his hand.

“We are so sorry,” He apologized, holding out his right hand to the realtor while his left held Sarah’s hand, “It took longer to get our daughter settled with the sitter than we’d anticipated. I believe you spoke with my lovely wife over the phone yesterday. I’m Charlie Danvers, and this is my wife, Sarah.”

“Pleased to meet you both,” The realtor shook their hands with a smile and turned to begin the tour of the home. They started on the first floor with the parlor where the realtor was quick to point out the crown molding, a slight pit stop was made on the way to the kitchen to show the couple the half-bathroom that was located on the first floor. The Kitchen had brand new appliances, much to Chuck and Sarah’s amazement, the dining room was large enough to host a moderate sized family dinner, or at the very least their family and maybe a few friends. The living room was twice the size of Ellies, there was no doubt that Sarah would be the main hostess for gatherings in the foreseeable future.

“Now you mentioned you have a daughter,” The realtor guided them up the steps to the second floor, “I’m not sure if you plan to have any more in the near future, but this house has space for your family to grow. Along with the master, which boasts a walk-in closet, ensuite bathroom with separate jacuzzi tub and shower, there are three bedrooms, all of which could be used as a guest room or office if need be. There is also another bathroom here, standard tub/shower combo. The linen closet is located upstairs, but the climate control is located on the first floor. I’ll let the two of you look around, I’ll be downstairs when you are ready to put forth an offer on the house.”

“Thank you,” Chuck nodded politely as Sarah followed suit, “Hopefully this won’t take too long.”

The realtor nodded once and turned on her heel to head down the stairs. Chuck and Sarah did as the realtor suggested, making sure to thoroughly look into all the rooms and bathrooms before ending up in the master suite. Sarah fell in love with the bathroom which was just as the realtor had described and the large walk-in closet that the room boasted. Chuck liked the fact that the other bedrooms were decent sized without being too large. He even had earmarked which room he wanted to make into Molly’s nursery and which room he wanted as their office.

“So, what do you think?” Chuck asked, turning to Sarah.

“First of all, that I wish this was real and not for a mission,” Sarah sighed, “This place, aside from the potential baddies who may or may not live nearby, is somewhere I could see us eventually growing into as time went on.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Chuck grinned, kissing her hand which was still nestled in his own.

“On a professional note, though, it is centrally located in the neighborhood, and would serve well as a base of operations, especially once we set up a security system.” Sarah nodded, “I like the idea of a home office as well, I can get my real work done during the day while taking care of Molly and keeping an eye out for the neighbors.”

“So, we’re going to make and offer?” Chuck looked hopeful, almost as if they were actually buying their dream home, rather than a base for an undercover mission.

“We’ll make an offer,” Sarah confirmed, “They are asking $1.7 million.”

Chuck released her hand and paced the master bedroom as he considered all they’d seen in the house and of the neighborhood they’d driven through, as well as the schools in the area, crime rate, and other factors he’d researched prior to them arriving. Sarah just cocked her head and smiled softly at his thinking face as he calculated an offer.

“Are real estate tabulations in the intersect?” She teased.

“No, but I did do some research on schools, crime rate statistics and how they impact market value, distance to shopping, gas, parks, and other factors that go into the cost of a real estate value,” Chuck countered, “All things considered, I think we should offer $1.5 mil to start with, but I think we could do the full asking price or even $1.75 if we have to increase on the offer.”

“Sounds good to me,” Sarah nodded, stepping toward him and, lifting up on her toes, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, “So Mr. Danvers, you ready to buy us a house?”

“So ready,” He whispered against her lips as his hands slid down from her shoulders until her hands firmly rested in his. His right thumb absentmindedly rubbed over the rings on her left hand. They made her hand feel only slightly different in his own, and there was a nagging little voice in the back of his head that challenged him to consider how right it felt to feel the rings there and the weight of the ring on his own left hand. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts swirling within, he gave Sarah a gentle smile and, releasing her right hand, keeping her left hand securely in his right, led her down the stairs to where the realtor sat in the kitchen, standing next to the island in the kitchen looking over paperwork.

“Mr. and Mrs. Danvers,” She smiled at them, both noticing the slightly predatory look she sent them. Sarah, however noticed how the look seemed primarily focused on Chuck as if the woman was calculating just what might cause him to leave his wife and enjoy some scandalous activities with the realtor. “Have you reached a decision?”

“I think we have,” Chuck nodded, then looked down at Sarah, “Right, Hunny?”

“Yeah,” Sarah nodded, giving him a loving smile before turning back to the realtor, “Of all the houses we’ve seen this one seems the most like, ‘us.’ I can just imagine our family growing here.”

“Growing?” Chuck’s eyebrows raised, playing along, “I like that idea.” He whispered just loud enough for the realtor to hear as he pressed a kiss to the sweet spot where Sarah’s jaw and the bottom of her ear met, sending a shiver down her spine. “We’d like to make an offer. We’re thinking in the ballpark of $1.5 million.”

“We will take your offer to the owner and let you know what they say,” The realtor nodded, placing the files in her briefcase and pulling out a business card, “We should have a response by this evening. Here’s my card in case you need to get a hold of me, I can suggest some loan vendors with whom I have a good relationship with. Please call me if there is _anything_ I can do for you.”

“We appreciate the offer,” Chuck nodded, withdrawing a business card of his own, “You can reach us at this number when you have an answer. Thank you so much for your time.”

“You are very welcome,” The realtor nodded and led them to the front door, opening it and guiding them out. She shook their hands and promised to get back to them as soon as she had a response then sent them on their way.

“Do you think they’ll bite?” Sarah asked as Chuck pulled out onto the road.

“I think so,” Chuck nodded, “In this economy, I doubt they were expecting a full offer. I think we’ll hear back soon, we’re probably the only offer they have. And by the fact the house is completely empty the seller probably very motivated to sell.”

“You’re probably right.” Sarah sighed and leaned back against the headrest of her seat, “If nothing else, you’ll probably get a call from the realtor no matter what.”

“What makes you say that?” He arched an eyebrow at her.

“Oh, like you didn’t notice the looks she kept sending your way,” Sarah scoffed lightly, “You could just see the wheels turning as she tried to figure out how to lure your away from me.”

“Well those wheels better be well greased, because they’ll be turning a long time,” Chuck snickered, then caught the amused look from his girlfriend, “Okay, so that sounded better in my head. In any event, what I mean is that she can think it over all day for the rest of her life, but nothing and no one is ever going to lure me away from you. Why would I stray when I have everything that I ever wanted right here beside me?” He took her hand in his and kissed it.

“Charmer,” Sarah smiled warmly at her, “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

“When you figure it out, could you let me know?” Chuck grinned, “Because I feel like I won the jackpot every day that I wake up next to you.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Sarah chuckled and shook her head as Chuck merged onto the highway to take them back to Burbank.


	23. Chapter 23

“Do you think we should bring Molly’s crib with us or should we requisition one?” Sarah called over her shoulder from where she sat on the couch, leafing through an order book from Furniture’n’Stuff. Since the day they’d put in their offer and it had been accepted after haggling to $1.6 million, she’d been working on their requisition forms. Now they were just waiting for escrow to close so that they could begin to move in.

“I think it might be best to just requisition one,” Chuck advised, flipping over the cheese sandwiches he was grilling up for lunch. The weather had cooled as a large pacific storm blew in, soaking the valley, so grilled cheese with tomato soup had been suggested for lunch. He’d already fed Molly and put her down for her nap.

“What do you think of this one?” She asked, walking over to the doorway to the kitchen, magazine in her hand. When Chuck looked over from where he stood, stirring the pot of soup, she pointed to a simple form crib with a light wood frame.

“I think that will work just fine,” He smiled at her, then looked closer at the magazine, “The matching dresser, changing table, and rocker, too.”

“Alright,” Sarah nodded, pulling the pen from behind her ear and circling the item numbers in the magazine, “I think that does it for the furniture, now all we have to do is order for the kitchen.”

“Do we get the appliances that were in the kitchen when we viewed the place?” Chuck asked, referring to the stainless-steel fridge, stove, and dishwasher he’d noticed during their tour of the house.

“Yeah, we get to keep them,” Sarah nodded, leaning against the archway as she watched Chuck transfer the sandwiches to their plates and cut them before pulling down a couple bowls and pouring soup into them along with some shredded cheddar cheese. She’d told him once that her mom used to make her tomato soup that way, and ever since, that’s how he always made it. “I just have to order normal kitchen stuff, you know, pots, pans, bakeware, flatware, silverware, that kind of stuff.”

“You know it’s kind of funny,” Chuck gave her a small smile as he walked by, setting the plates at their places at the table before returning to grab the bowls of soup, “I know our cover is a married couple, but all this week, figuring out our requisition order, I can’t help but feel like we’re putting together our wedding registry.”

“Yeah,” Sarah sighed, setting the magazine on the kitchen counter and pulling out the pitcher of iced tea she’d made. Grabbing a couple glasses from the draining rack, she poured the tea for them before returning the pitcher to the fridge and following him into the dining room. “Good practice, I guess,” Noticing the meaningful look Chuck gave her, she blushed slightly, “You know, for when we are ready to take that step. Whenever that might be.”

“Right,” Chuck nodded, “Whenever, there’s no hurry, right?”

“Right,” Sarah nodded quickly, picking up one of her halves of sandwich and dipping it into the soup. They both chewed in awkward silence for a few minutes. These moments where one or both of them mentioned eventually getting married had led to some awkward times over the past week or so. Neither were completely opposed to the idea and had said so many times over the course of their relationship, but their upcoming mission made it all too real for them. Although they agreed that marriage is where they could see their relationship going, they weren’t really good at expressing how close they were individually and together to being ready to take that step.

“I got a call from the photographer confirming our session for next Saturday.” Sarah finally spoke up.

“Oh,” Chuck’s eyes widened as the image of Sarah in a wedding dress flitted across his mind at the same time the realization that he still needed to talk to his sister about what was going to be going on over the next several months, if not longer, hit him. “Wow, um, okay.”

“Chuck?” Sarah gave him a quizzical look, “What is going on in that head of yours?”

“Interrogation resistance methods, self-defense, strategic retreat routes…” He tried to pass it off as a joke.

“I know you’re concerned about how she’s going to react,” Sarah placed her hand over his and squeezed it lightly, “But you know you have to loop her in on this. I’ll be with you all the way, too; I’m not letting you do this alone.”

“I know,” Chuck gave her a weak smile, “I’ve just been lying to her for so long… Do we come clean about how we met?”

“Are you ready to tell her that you are not only a CIA agent but an elite hacker as well?” Sarah challenged.

“Rip off the band-aid, right?” Chuck shrugged, “Besides the hacker bit is pretty minor considering…”

“It’s up to you how much you want to disclose,” Sarah took another bite of sandwich. “If you want to tell her how we really met, I’m okay with it.”

“I think I should tell her everything,” Chuck said resolutely, “Now I just have to figure out when to tell her.”

“When to tell her what?” They turned to see Ellie in the door frame, Clara perched on her hip, a sippy cup and her keys in her other hand. They shared a look, unsure of how much she’d heard, and hoping she hadn’t heard much.

“Elle,” Chuck spoke first, “Hey, what’s up?”

“I came over to borrow some milk, we ran out and I haven’t had time to go to the store yet.” Ellie informed them.

“I can get you some,” Sarah stood and went to the kitchen with the sippy cup that Ellie held out to her.

“Thanks, Sarah,” Ellie gave her a small smile before turning back to her brother, “Tell who what?”

Chuck sent an unsure look to his girlfriend who gave him an encouraging nod as she poured some milk into the cup she’d been given. He took a steadying breath and turned back to his sister, “I have something I need to discuss with you and Awe… um Devon.” He tried to give her a reassuring smile that fell a little short, “Nothing bad, but still important for you to know.”

“Here’s the milk,” Sarah interrupted the staring contest that now was taking place between the siblings. Each trying to read the other’s face for any clue as to the thoughts that were dwelling there.

“Thanks, Sarah,” Ellie gave her a grateful smile. “Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight? Devon should be home from his shift around five, so we can eat maybe 6:30-ish?”

“Sounds good,” Chuck nodded, “We’ll see you then.”

“Okay,” Ellie nodded and left.

Chuck breathed out a relieved sigh he didn’t realize he’d been holding, “How much do you think she heard?”

“Probably not much,” Sarah shrugged, “You know she usually announces herself as soon as she opens the door.”

“You’re probably right,” He nodded, “Now we wait until dinner and hope she doesn’t kill us over the pot roast.”

“That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?” Sarah rolled her eyes, “We both know she would at least wait until dessert to inflict any mortal wounds. Every good dinner hostess knows you let them eat their cake before you remove their head.”

Chuck couldn’t help but laugh, “That was dark, Babe, but thank you, I needed that.”

“Glad I could help,” She beamed, “Now let’s finish lunch and then maybe I can find another way to distract you until dinner… or at least until Molly wakes up from her nap.”

Chuck didn’t need any clarification and made quick work of his remaining soup and sandwich while Sarah finished her lunch while fighting off giggles at how eager he was to get to the distraction part of the afternoon.

~~~~~~~~~

The meal had been fantastic, as always. Chuck had insisted on helping Devon with the dishes, shrugging only slightly when Sarah called him out under her breath on his stall tactic. The women moved to the couch, talking and sipping wine while the men made quick work of storing the leftovers and loading the dishwasher.

“So, what is it you needed to talk to Devon and me about?” Ellie asked as soon as Chuck took his seat next to Sarah.

“Here it goes, okay,” Chuck ran his fingers through his curls, leaving his hair standing up awkwardly in some areas from the motion, “Ellie, what I am about to tell you is very hard for me, so I’m going to ask that you not speak or respond until I am done, okay?”

“Chuck, you’re worrying me,” Ellie gave him a concerned look as her husband took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze to signal that he was there for her.

“Elle, just promise, please?” Chuck insisted, meeting his sister’s eyes.

“Okay, fine, I promise,” She relented, and gestured with her free hand for him to proceed.

“What I am about to tell you may be hard to believe or accept, so the thing you need to remember is that I am fine, Sarah’s fine, Molly’s fine, so there is no need to freak out.” Chuck started. “I am not a small business owner, technically speaking, the US Government owns Carmichael CyberSecurity, and have since its inception four years ago. Double C is actually a cover for my real job; Ellie, Devon, I am a Hybrid Intelligence officer for the CIA, code name Charles Carmichael.”

“You work for the CIA?” Ellie floundered.

“Awesome!” Devon nodded and grinned, “So you’re like 007 or something?”

“Something like that,” Chuck shrugged then turned back to his sister who was still struggling to find her words, “Elle? Are you okay over there?”

“How long?” She spoke quietly.

“What?” Chuck strained to hear her.

“How long, Chuck?” Ellie demanded, her voice louder.

“I was recruited from Stanford,” Chuck explained, “End of my sophomore year, so roughly seven years, although I wasn’t fully activated until after I graduated.”

“Seven years…” Ellie shook her head in disbelief, “Do you have a gun?”

“Yes,” Chuck nodded, “I actually have a few, but I promise, all of them are safely stored away from little fingers.”

Ellie turned to Sarah, “Did you know?”

“Yes,” Sarah confirmed, “Since the night of the dinner party when you and I first met.”

“How?” Ellie turned back to her brother.

“I took a Psychology elective that dealt with subliminal messages and data retention the fall semester my second year,” Chuck explained, “The professor, George Flemming, is a CIA recruiter and pegged me as a recruitment candidate. The next semester, he contacted me and invited me to his office for a meeting, he asked me if I’d ever considered serving my country. I thought he meant joining ROTC and going into the military, but he pointed out there were other ways to serve, told me about the good someone with my skills could do as a part of the CIA.”

“You said that you are a hybrid agent,” Ellie pointed out, “What exactly does that mean?”

“It means that I serve a dual function as an analyst and a field agent,” Chuck stated, “My first assignment out of Stanford was in a purely analytical position, but I’ve also been in the field both solo and as part of a team.”

Ellie got quiet and just studied her brother, the silence only broken by the ringing of Sarah’s phone. She pulled it out of her pocket and showed the caller ID to Chuck who nodded that he saw who was calling.

“Excuse me,” Sarah stepped into the kitchen, “Walker, secure.”

Realization dawned over Ellie’s face as she watched Sarah take her phone call, her eyes going between her brother and his girlfriend, “Wait, Sarah…”

“Is an agent too,” Chuck nodded, “Although, neither of us knew of the other’s company affiliation when we first met, although we had heard of each other. Before Molly came along, Sarah was known as the director’s wild card enforcer. You should see her, Elle, she is the very definition of badass.”

Sarah’s call was wrapped up quickly and she returned to the group, “Sorry, I need to borrow Chuck for a moment,” She pulled Chuck to his feet and the two went into the kitchen to speak quietly. Ellie and Devon couldn’t make out what was being said, but it was probably good news if the smile that came across Chuck’s face was any indication.

“Babe,” Devon whispered to his wife, “Since it seems this is a night of revelations, maybe you should tell Chuck your good news.”

“What good news?” Chuck asked innocently as he and Sarah returned to their seats, “Could it be the fact you were accepted into the Neurology Fellowship at UC-Irvine?”

“How did you…” Ellie started, “CIA, right.”

“Yeah, but not for the reason you may think,” Chuck grinned, “That was what the phone call Sarah just took was about. There’s a bit more to Sarah and me that you don’t know about, and we were just given clearance to read you in. You’ll have to sign a non-disclosure agreement, you too Devon.”

“Fine, I’ll sign whatever you want,” Ellie huffed impatiently.

“I wasn’t the only one recruited by the CIA from Stanford,” Chuck started, “My best friend, Bryce Larkin was as well.”

“Wait, so you are telling me that not only are you and Sarah spies,” Ellie’s brows shot up, “But Bryce Larkin from Connecticut is too?”

“Yes, he was actually recruited the semester before me,” Chuck confirmed, “Remember the exchange program we went to from the beginning of Summer break into the first term of Junior year?”

“Uh huh,” Ellie nodded.

“We weren’t in Europe,” Chuck shrugged, “We were in West Virginia at the Farm, the CIA Training facility. Let me tell you, if you want to experience Hell on Earth, try doing daily PT including 10k runs in the middle of a humid West Virginia summer.”

Sarah nodded her agreement, “You’re not lying, there were days I thought I was going to die from oxygen deprivation, the air was so thick.”

“Daily PT, huh?” Devon spoke up, “I knew that wasn’t all you and Bryce hitting the gym a few days a week like you claimed.”

“Well, when we got back to Stanford, we did cut it down to heavy PT a few times a week,” Chuck admitted, “And we cut down our daily 10k to 3 miles a day during the school week, and then would do the full 10k once a week or so. Sarah and I have taken to doing a few miles three or four days a week to keep in shape, we also spar on occasion.”

“Oh, I so didn’t need to hear that,” Ellie protested when she saw the look that passed between her brother and Sarah.

“The whole team spars, well except Josie, of course,” Chuck shrugged, “I usually go up against Brody or Lewis when we are sparring.”

“Does Kevin know what Josie does?” Ellie questioned.

“Yes,” Sarah nodded, “She told him last year, when they started to get serious. She’s more analyst than agent, though. To be honest, the majority of our team are like that, Chuck and I aren’t nearly as field-active as we once were, for obvious reasons.”

“And she is the most adorable little reason,” Chuck beamed. “Anyway, once we were recruited, the CIA covered our expenses for college from tuition to housing and food, then in the summers we would go back to the Farm for recurrent training and quals and then to Langley for further assignment. Usually just analyst work, and the occasional low-priority mission like observe and report type stuff.

“After we graduated, we were put onto our first permanent assignment,” Chuck continued, “It was called Project Omaha, we thought we were just doing data entry and analysis for a supercomputer called the Intersect that was meant to correlate data collected from the various agencies to verify legitimate threats to the nation so as to avoid another 9/11, at least that was what we were told. A few months in, it was shuttered with no warning. I recently found out that the creator of the Intersect, or at least ‘the really cool parts,’ a scientist code named Orion, found out about some of the personnel assigned to the project and demanded it be shut down and the agents reassigned.”

“How do you know that?” Ellie asked.

“Everyone in the CIA and NSA has heard of Orion, even if it is just in whispers and speculation,” Chuck shrugged, “A genius who lives in seclusion, designing the best tech from computer terminals to our communication technology. A rare few are lucky enough to have equipment personally made by Orion. For some reason he has taken a shine to Sarah and me, all our tech, from our computer terminals at home and work, to our laptops, and com watches are personally made for us by him.”

“Actually, personally made for you,” Sarah corrected, “I got grandfathered in about the time we moved in together. Not sure how he found out about that, but when Chuck ordered a replacement for the terminal that got fried, Orion sent back two desktop and two laptop computers with instructions on which belonged to who.”

“Has he ever said why?” Ellie asked, “Have you met him before?”

“If I have, he didn’t reveal himself to me,” Chuck shrugged, “I have a theory, although I don’t know how you’ll feel about it.”

“What is it?” Ellie pressed.

“One other thing that Orion is known for is his elite hacking ability,” Chuck explained, “There is only one person who ever has come close to his prowess is a hacker code named Piranha. Showed up on the scene about 10 years ago or so. He’s never done anything illegal, aside from hacking a few government databases, and even then, the only reason he is known was that he patched a few pretty big holes in the security of the governmental servers he hacked. It was enough to land him on the FBI most wanted list of hackers.”

“He’s really something else,” Sarah gave Chuck a proud look.

“In case you need further clarification, I am Piranha,” Chuck gave his sister a half smile, “At some point I must have caught Orion’s attention as from the get-go, he’s made sure I get top-of-the-line equipment. My boss knows about Piranha, I told him when I was recruited to avoid any issues down the road. They keep me on the FBI’s most wanted list to lend credibility if they need me to go in as Piranha for a mission.”

“Oh my God,” Ellie groaned, “What else have you been keeping from me?”

“Just a couple more things,” Chuck admitted, “When I tell you about it, the clearance you were granted upon being accepted to the Neurology fellowship will make sense.”

“Chuck, I should probably start this part of the story,” Sarah laid a hand on his arm, “There are a few things you should probably know about us and me. First of all, I’d heard of Charles Carmichael and Chuck Bartowski before I ever met him, but I never knew he was the same person. You see I had graduated from Harvard about the time that Omaha was being shut down. Bryce Larkin was assigned as my partner after that. You’d be surprised how easy it is to get into places you aren’t supposed to be when people want to avoid confronting the amorous couple necking in the hall.”

“You and Bryce?” Ellie looked her over, “I guess I could see that, did you two ever…”

“Yeah, for a little while,” Sarah admitted with a slight shrug, “It happens with partners more often than you think.”

“So, you and Chuck are?”

“Different,” Sarah supplied, “We had a connection before we were assigned to work together. Although, we are allowing our director believe it’s just a cover to explain why we are constantly together.”

“Got it,” Ellie nodded.

“Anyway, Bryce and I were partners for about two years, with the exception of another interagency task force I was seconded to on occasion,” Sarah explained, “Bryce told me all these stories about his good buddy Chuck from college and the mischief they got into back at Stanford. He also told me about this agent Charles Carmichael who he’d worked with just out of college who was one of the best analysts and agents he’d ever met. Never once did he ever let on that the two were one and the same.

“Any way, a little over a year ago, I got back from working with the task force to find that Bryce had inexplicably vanished, no warning, just… gone.” Sarah shook her head, “I found myself at loose ends and was approached by a senior agent by the name of Kiran Ryker to join him on an op in Hungary.”

“Do you get to do a lot of traveling like that?” Ellie asked.

“Yes, there is a lot of travel, but you really don’t see anything,” Sarah shrugged, “What we do doesn’t really lend itself to sight-seeing. So, I have a lot of stamps in my passport, but I can’t really say I ever really experienced any of the places I’ve been.”

“Not awesome,” Devon interjected.

“No, it’s not,” Sarah shook her head, “There are a lot of places I’ve been that I wish I could have seen more of, experienced fully. Maybe some day I can, but so far it hasn’t been in the cards.”

“What was going on in Hungary?” Ellie prompted.

“Well, what was told to me was that we’d received reports that a band of mercenaries were planning to murder some Hungarian diplomat and his wife.” Sarah continued, “But we were too late by the time we arrived to stop it. The op turned into a recovery mission. Ryker told me I was to go in, eliminate any threats still present and retrieve a package while he and his team worked coms and back up. When I got there, I found the mercenaries toasting their success, I dispatched them and moved on to find the package. Ryker’s directions led me to a room on the far side of the house, I heard crying before I ever arrived, which confused me. I reported back that I didn’t find a package, but that there was a baby there. Ryker informed me that the baby was the package. It was then I realized what was really going on.”

“Oh God,” Ellie raised her hand to her mouth, anticipating what was coming next.

“It turns out the baby was the sole heir to a substantial inheritance,” Sarah explained, “Ryker had hired the mercenaries to kill the parents with the intention of taking the baby and claiming her inheritance.” Sarah shook her head sadly, “I don’t even want to think what he would have done with her if he’d succeeded. I knew I couldn’t subject her to him, so I hid her away in my jacket and using my coms to gage where the rest of the team was, snuck out of the mansion and to safety.

“I evaded capture and was able to pick up a few supplies, namely formula, diapers, and the like and secure a room without Ryker finding us.” Sarah relayed, “I didn’t know if I could trust the CIA to not tell Ryker where I was, so I reached out to some of my father’s old contacts. The next day I was able to get us to Vienna without Ryker noticing and meet up with a man who knew me as Hannah. He supplied us with travel documents, and since he knew I was traveling with an infant, he brought some hand-me downs from his daughter and grandchild, clothes for both of us and a sling to carry the baby in.

“The flight to Paris was not good,” Sarah shook her head, “The baby’s ears didn’t clear, and she screamed the whole flight. I had no idea what to do. I remember pacing the boarding area, praying that she would calm down before our international flight when I heard my alias’ name being called. The gate agent informed me that we’d been upgraded to business class. She handed me our tickets and allowed us to board ahead of everyone. All I could think was that things were starting to look up for us… and then this guy rushed onto the plane, talking to me like he knew me, and implying he was my significant other.

“Normally, this would set off alarm bells, but there was something about him that made me want to trust him,” Sarah shook her head, bemused, “I think he could sense that I was hesitant to go along with his charade so he gave me this warm smile that melted me from the inside out and said ‘just go with it.’ I don’t know why, but I did.”

Ellie saw the look that passed between Sarah and Chuck as she relayed the story. She heard Devon chuckle beside her, “Why do I get the feeling that I’m missing something here?”

“I was the guy, Elle,” Chuck explained, “I saw Sarah in the terminal trying to calm Molly down, and I remembered that trip to Chicago when Clara’s ears wouldn’t clear and the tips the flight attendant gave you to help her. I hacked the airlines’ server and figured out who she was by checking the manifest. She was the only woman flying alone with an infant, so it seemed like a safe bet that it was her. I upgraded her to the business class seat next to me, transferred the upgrade fee from one of my shadow accounts, and proceeded to do as she said.” Chuck shrugged humbly, “While there were a few people who were obviously annoyed with the screaming baby in the terminal, I noticed she was also gaining attention purely for being her. I wanted to help her avoid the creeps that were staring at her, so easiest way was to step in as her spouse. I took the gamble that she wouldn’t think I was some kind of lecherous hump, I guess it paid off.”

“Molly took an instant shine to him,” Sarah smiled at her boyfriend, “I couldn’t say no to him after that.”

“Did you know she was CIA when you met her?” Ellie directed her question to her brother.

“Not a clue,” Chuck shook his head, “Just like Sarah had heard of me, but had never seen what I looked like, it was the same deal with me. I had, of course heard of the incomparable Agent Walker, but I had no idea what she looked like other than she was amazingly beautiful, although that didn’t come close to describing her.”

Sarah rolled her eyes, “He’s exaggerating.”

“No, I’m not,” Chuck insisted, “Just ask anyone on our team and they’ll tell you the same.”

“Whatever,” Sarah shook her head, “Long story short, he helped me calm Molly down and we made it to Dallas with very little incident. It was a long flight so between taking care of Molly and both sleeping for a while, we passed the time talking. I mentioned that I was traveling to California so that my mom could meet my daughter…”

“…And I told her that I was on my way to DC for business meetings pertaining to as CyberSecurity job in Rome that I was returning from.” Chuck added.

“Was that job a…” Ellie started.

“Mission?” Chuck asked, “Yes, but that’s all I can say about it as it is above your clearance level. I will tell you as much as I can about what I do and am doing, but there will be times when I won’t be able to, like with op in Europe. It’s also for your safety, there are times when the less you know, the safer you will be. I’m sorry but that’s the way it has to be.”

“I understand, I think,” Ellie nodded.

“When we got to Dallas, we went through Customs together and hung out at my gate until it was time to board,” Sarah continued, “Keeping to the story we’d developed on the plane, in case other people from our previous flight noticed us, we acted like a family saying good bye. He gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek as I was getting ready to board and left to catch his flight to DC while I continued on to LA.”

“She also gave me her email address so that I could get a hold of her,” Chuck added, “However, the night of my birthday, my computer got fried. Apparently when Bryce disappeared, he went rogue, eventually breaking in to DNI where the latest version of the Intersect was being held, stole it and then proceeded to blow it up.”

“Casey, who was on site chased him down and shot him, but not before he was able to send the email containing the Intersect program off to a contact,” Sarah informed them.

“The contact was me,” Chuck gave his sister a small smile, “I had no idea that he was rogue, I thought he was just sending me an email for my birthday. When I opened the email, it was a line from Zork, or at least the version we programed in college. As soon as I put in the correct response, the screen went blank then started flashing all these images, I must have blacked out at one point because the next thing I know, I’m waking up on my floor with a pounding headache.”

Chuck paused for a moment, looking between his sister and brother-in-law for a moment before continuing, “Remember how I said George Flemming flagged me for CIA recruitment?” Ellie and Devon nodded their heads, “The class I had taken from him at the beginning of the year was a psychology class dealing with subliminal imagery, subtext, and encoding. The final had a bonus section where you watched a brief clip then recorded everything that you remember. Most students only got about 50% of the images, some higher. Bryce who had taken the class over the summer had scored an 86%, I had a retention level of 98.9%.”

“Awesome!” Devon grinned.

“That’s amazing, Chuck,” Ellie stared at her brother wide-eyed, “But what does that have to do with the email that Bryce sent you?”

“What I didn’t mention is that the data recorded by the Intersect stored it as mini-files hidden within photographs,” Chuck explained, “Much like were in that test in college… and the email Bryce sent me.”

“Oh my God!” Ellie shouted, her jaw nearly hitting the floor. When Devon gave her a questioning look, she explained, “He downloaded the information, he’s a flesh job!”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Chuck tried to calm his sister down, “Much of the information in the intersect I already knew by normal channels, although it does help in identifying potential threats if I come across them.”

“I would love to see how it impacted your brain,” Ellie murmured.

“That’s actually why you were given clearance,” Chuck gave her a proud smile, “You will be receiving a call from the Director of the CIA, Langston Graham, offering you a job as a consultant for a top-secret project. I am the project, you would monitor me medically, specifically from a neurological standpoint. Yes, Ellie, you will essentially be paid to poke around in my brain, God help me.”

Ellie couldn’t suppress the excited squeal that came from her mouth at the thought, “I always knew you were a walking, talking, science experiment, now I can prove it.”

“Ellie…” Chuck started.

“Oh, I’m kidding, kind of,” Ellie chuckled, “I am happy you thought of me when they wanted a neurologist to watch over you.”

“There is one more reason we are telling you all of this.” Chuck caught her attention again, “Recently an agent previously presumed to be rogue or dead turned up, his brain seriously fried. They needed someone to go undercover and Sarah and I are the only ones on our team able to do it.”

“Okay,” Ellie gave her brother and Sarah an odd look, “Do you need us to watch Molly or something?”

“No, Molly is coming with us,” Sarah explained, “We were told to expect it to be a long-term assignment, but as it is just an observe and report assignment right now, we were granted permission to bring Molly. If it suddenly becomes too dangerous, we have a million and one contingency plans to get her to safety whether that is with you or Emma or with Anne, our babysitter.”

“Oh wow,” Ellie sighed, “Do you know where you are going to go?”

“Yes,” Chuck nodded, “To a subdivision in Sherman Oaks called Meadow Branch, we are going in as a young newlywed couple who just moved into the neighborhood. Escrow will be closing on the house soon and we will be on our way there. We are telling you this as you may wind up being invited to our house once in a while and we don’t want you to be surprised to find us wearing rings and acting like we are already married.”

“So basically, you’ll act the way you do every day, only with a few extra pieces of jewelry,” Ellie teased, “Don’t worry, your secret will be safe with me. I assume you’ll be using aliases?”

“Yes,” Sarah confirmed, “We will be Charlie and Sarah Danvers, so not too different from what we go by now, but enough to throw off any suspicion.”

“As part of setting our cover, we arranged for a photo session,” Chuck added, “That way we have realistic looking pictures of major life events to add with the personal photos we will be bringing with us. Since you may meet our neighbors at some point, it may seem suspicious if my sister is missing from some of the photos.”

“What kind of life events are you thinking of?” Ellie asked.

“Engagement, Wedding, Molly’s birth, that kind of thing.” Sarah shrugged, “Would you like to be my fake matron of honor?”

“I would love too,” Ellie enthused, “So basically we spend a day playing dress-up?”

“Yep,” Sarah confirmed.

“And Devon man, best man?” Chuck looked at his brother-in-law.

“You needn’t ask,” Devon beamed, “I would love to.”

“Great!” Chuck clapped his hands together, “Don’t worry about makeup or clothes, we’ll go to the studio tomorrow at 7am. We already made arrangements with Anne to watch Molly and Clara since neither of them would have been born yet in the context of the pictures.”

“You’ll like Anne,” Sarah smiled reassuringly, “She is exactly what you would imagine a mom or a grandma to be, so warm and loving. Not to mention thoroughly vetted by the CIA, Kevin and Josie will be sending their little one to her when they are ready to go back to work after their little one is born.”

“She sounds awesome,” Devon nodded, “Well, it’s late, we should probably get Clara to bed.”

“Yeah, we should probably get Molly to bed too,” Chuck nodded, “I know I hit you with a lot today, and I understand if you need time to fully process all of this. Just remember our door is always open, you can come by and ask questions if you need to for clarification on anything.”

“But please call or knock first,” Sarah added, causing the adults all to laugh.

Chuck hugged Ellie and Devon goodnight while Sarah retrieved her daughter and carried her over to her Auntie Ellie and Uncle Awesome to exchange hugs and kisses before Sarah hugged the older couple and wished them a good night.

“Well that wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be,” Chuck commented as they entered their apartment.

“Somehow I have the feeling it may get worse before it gets better,” Sarah sighed, “Once she processes everything we told her, she is liable to be pretty upset with you. Ultimately, she’ll forgive you for lying to her all this time, but it may be rough going for a little bit.”

“Yeah,” Chuck nodded, “But we’ll get through this together?”

“Like we do everything,” Sarah confirmed, raising up on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek as he paused to open their apartment door, “Starting with putting this one to bed and then getting some sleep ourselves. I can’t have bags under my eyes in my wedding pictures.”

“I can’t wait to see you as a bride,” Chuck smiled down at her, “I bet you’ll be a beautiful fake bride.” _And one day a beautiful real one._

“Devon, what am I supposed to do?” Ellie cried, “I promised Dad I would protect him, how am I supposed to do that when he’s out chasing bad guys all over the world!?”

“Babe,” Devon laid a soothing hand on her shoulder, “He has Sarah to back him up now, not to mention John Casey and the rest of their team. He’s a grown man who can handle himself and has kept himself safe for the past 7 years. He’ll be fine.”

“It does explain some of the injuries he’s come home with that didn’t match up with the story he gave me.” Ellie shrugged, leaning against Devon’s shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m so scared for him.”

“I am too, Babe,” Devon admitted, scooping Clara up off the floor and carrying her upstairs, “But Sarah did say he is the best at what he does, I think we just have to trust he’ll be fine.”

“I don’t think I could stand losing him after losing Mom and then Dad,” Ellie shook her head.

“Somehow I doubt that it will ever come to that,” Devon gave her a soft smile as they lay their daughter in her bed, “From what I’ve seen of them since they day he brought her home, if he were to die on a mission, Sarah would bring him back to life and kill him again, or at the very least move Heaven and Earth to save him.”

“I guess you’re right,” Ellie sighed, making her way to their room and sitting on the bed, “Could you please just hold me tonight? I need my sleep if I’m going to look good in these pictures we’ll be taking tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Devon gave her a kiss, “And every night you need me to, you never have to ask.”


	24. Chapter 24

“Good morning,” Chuck sang as he waltzed into their room, breakfast tray in his hand, balancing a cup of coffee, some fruit, and Sarah’s favorite chocolate croissants. When he received no response, he placed the tray on the nearby dresser and returned to the bed, lowering the blanket as he pressed soft kisses to Sarah’s neck and shoulders until she began to rouse from her slumber.

“Mmm,” She gave him a sleepy smile as she turned over, giving him a soft kiss, “That felt nice,” She reached up, lacing her fingers into his thick curls and pulled him down to her where she proceeded to peck soft kisses along his jaw, neck, and throat eliciting a moan of pleasure from him as he crawled into the bed beside her.

“Too many clothes,” She complained pulling at his shirt and boxers, soon both were gone, and they were pressed together in an intimate embrace.

“That was one hell of a wake-up call,” Sarah grinned, an hour later, from where she lay resting on Chuck’s chest, “We should do that more often.”

“I would not be objected to that,” He kissed her head, “Except we do have a daughter to take care of and a photo shoot to get to today.”

“Speaking of, where is Molly?” Sarah leaned up on her arm to look at Chuck who had the arm that was not currently holding her bent behind his head with his hand between his head and the pillow.

“I dropped her off at Ellie’s before I made breakfast,” He shrugged.

“You planned on this, didn’t you?” Sarah mock gasped.

“No, didn’t plan it,” He shrugged, “Hoped, would be a more accurate term.”

“Well keep hoping like that,” She pressed a kiss to his lips before noticing the time on the bedside alarm. “Um, Chuck, I think we played a little too long.”

“Hmm?” Chuck lazily turned his head in the direction she was looking, his eyes widening when he realized the time, “Damn! Okay, quick shower then we go get the Awesomes and take the girls to Anne’s.”

“Good thing they have everything we need there,” Sarah noted as she climbed out of bed, heading toward the bathroom with Chuck hot on her heels. As soon as they had showered, they set about getting ready. Since they were going to do her hair and make up there, Sarah pulled her hair up in a ponytail before brushing her teeth and heading back into the room to get dressed. Chuck was already tying his high-top black all-stars and pushing the legs of his jeans back into place, he wore a white t-shirt under a red button down that he’d left unbuttoned.

“I’ll grab the rings from the safe while you get dressed, and meet you and the Awesomes in the courtyard,” He informed her and with a kiss, he exited the room.

Sarah quickly grabbed a matching set of white panties and a convertible-strap bra so that she could adjust based on the clothing that was selected for her. She shimmied into her favorite pair of jeans, slid her feet into the brown flats she’d bought when escaping with Molly, and pulled on one of Chuck’s white, short-sleeved, button downs, wrapping a belt around her waist to give it a little shape. She took a peek at herself in the mirror hanging over her dresser and nodded in satisfaction at the look she’d achieved. She was soon grabbing her purse and heading out the door to meet up with her family.

“How is it that you look better in that shirt than I do?” Chuck asked, pressing a kiss to her lips when she met him at the fountain.

“I guess I’m just prettier than you,” She teased.

“True,” Chuck admitted with a shrug, “Alright, I think it would be best if we took two cars. Mainly because moving the girls’ car seats can be a time-consuming venture, not to mention if, for some reason Anne needs one of us to come collect the girls, we’ll have a spare vehicle to do just that.”

“Good plan Bro,” Devon nodded with his trademark smile, “Lead the way.”

As soon as the girls were settled in their respective seats with their fathers behind the wheel of the family van and SUV, they took off toward Anne’s house. Anne had the door open and was standing in the frame as soon as they pulled in.

“I see you brought us a new friend to play with,” She smiled warmly.

“Yes, we did,” Chuck nodded as he carried Molly toward the house, Sarah by his side and the Awesomes behind him.

Anne led them into the house where introductions were made. Once the girls were settled, good-byes and thank yous were exchanged, the two couples were on their way once more to an outdoor venue where the photographer was waiting for them.

When they arrived, Sarah and Chuck saw some of their friends from work milling around what looked to be a craft services table as they rotated through one of the several tents that were serving as prep areas for the shoot.

“Wow, Beckman went all out!” Chuck was surprised.

“You were the one who challenged the realism of previous cover photos created by her support team,” Sarah pointed out as Chuck put the car in park and they climbed out of the SUV. Ellie and Awesome pulled up beside them and walked with them toward a woman with a headset on who seemed to be directing traffic.

“Mr. Carmichael, Miss Walker, and the Doctors Woodcomb?” She asked, when she received the affirmative nods from them, she proceeded with instructions, “My name is Savannah and I will be your coordinator for the day. We are going to start with the proposal and engagement photos and then move on to the wedding pictures. We have a few options on racks in the back for you for each event each labeled with your names. Mr. Carmichael and Miss Walker, you will have to choose one outfit for each set of photos, Doctors Woodcomb, you just need to select clothes for the wedding. Of course, the wedding will be formal, gentlemen we have your measurements already so all the tuxedos should fit you correctly, just pick whichever style you prefer. Ladies you will be in the tent on the right, gentlemen on the left, each tent has a hair and makeup section. Any questions?”

“Yes, once we are ready to go for the first shoot, where will we be going?” Chuck inquired.

“Once you are dressed, there will be a golf cart waiting for you and we will take you over to the area where the proposal and engagement photos will be taken, we did set up a separate tent in that area so that you can change clothes from the proposal to the engagement photos.” Savanah informed them, brushing a stray hair that had fallen from her long brunette ponytail behind her ear. “Mr. Carmichael, would you be opposed to getting a slight trim in between photos? Just to give a little variety and neaten it up for the wedding pictures.”

“I’m fine with that,” Chuck nodded, his hand absentmindedly running through his curls, setting them askew, the look making Sarah’s heart skip a beat and desire to push him into one of the nearby tents for some one-on-one time curl in her stomach.

_He still has no idea how sexy he looks with his curls everywhere like that,_ She thought to herself, _Especially with the scruff he forgot to shave off today._

“Miss Walker?” Savannah caught her attention, “They are ready for you in your tent.”

“Oh, right, thank you, Savannah,” Sarah cleared her throat and nodded before turning and joining Ellie in the tent.

“Do I even want to know what you zoned out on, or will I need brain bleach and extensive therapy if you tell me?” Ellie teased.

“Let’s just say that your brother is a very attractive man,” Sarah grinned, “Especially when he isn’t attempting to be.”

“You really have it bad, don’t you?” Ellie smiled at her as they pushed the flaps of the tent back and stepped inside.

“More than you’ll ever know,” She replied as they located their racks and began to select their clothing for the day. “I’ll need your help in picking out a few things, or one thing in particular.”

“And since I will be in ‘your wedding pictures,’ you should probably have a say in the dress I wear for those photos,” Ellie countered.

“Alright, lets get to it,” Sarah smiled as they turned to their racks, pulling items at random to show each other. Sarah settled on a jean skirt, heeled sandals and a salmon blouse for the proposal and a white, tea-length, summer dress with pastel flowers printed on it along with a pale blue quarter sleeved cardigan for the engagement photos. “What do you think of this?” She nodded toward the outfits she’d chosen.

“Those are perfect,” Ellie nodded approvingly, “Now onto the wedding attire, have you narrowed down the dresses yet?”

“I think I have it down to a few,” Sarah nodded, pulling three A-line dresses from the rack.

“Alright, let’s see them,” Ellie nodded, “Let’s try the first one on.”

“You know, when I joined the CIA, I never thought I would be doing anything like this,” Sarah gave Ellie a small smile as she pulled on the thin crinoline that was meant to be worn under the dresses.

“Well, this goes to prove that life is full of surprises,” Ellie smiled at her friend.

Before long, the first dress was being zipped up, it was a strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline, the skirt had two sets of bell pickup layers with a lace layer at the bottom and a chapel train. Ellie made sure the dress was hanging correctly with the train extended and slowly walked around Sarah, taking it in from all angles. “Sarah, I say this as one of your best friends, and as someone who loves you. You look like a layer cake.”

“Yeah, I’m thinking no on this one,” Sarah scrunched up her nose.

“Probably for the best, we should try the next one,” Ellie nodded, unzipping the gown and helping Sarah out of it. Once she had it hung up on the rack, she pulled another strapless gown from the rack, helping Sarah to get it over her head and fastening it. This dress had a fitted bodice and a full skirt with tulle layers cut to resemble feathers. Once the skirt was laid out correctly, Ellie made her pass once more, “Closer, but I don’t know about this skirt, it seems a bit much.”

“I like the bodice though,” Sarah ran her hands over the satin covering her torso.

“I do too,” Ellie nodded, “Want to go for broke?” She gestured toward the last gown Sarah had set aside.

“Let’s do it,” Sarah gave her a grin as the women quickly exchanged the second dress for the last. Even before Ellie had finished buttoning up the gown, they knew they had found what they were looking for.

“Sarah, I swear to God if you don’t keep this dress for the day you actually marry my brother for real, I will seriously have to kill you, CIA or no,” Ellie met Sarah’s eyes in the mirror, “I mean look at you, girl, you are practically glowing! Do you want to try on a veil or head piece?

“Yeah,” Sarah whispered, not trusting her voice. The women tried a few more accessories to go along with the dress before making a final decision. The dress was removed and placed back in its bag and set aside along with the shoes and accessories that had been selected to go with it.

“I can’t wait to see the look on Chuck’s face when he sees you in that dress,” Ellie enthused, “He’s going to need a crane to lift his jaw up off the floor.”

“You really think so?” Sarah asked as Ellie turned toward her own rack and began pulling dresses to try on to use as a bridesmaid dress.

“Sarah, I’ve known my brother for nearly 30 years, and I’ve never seen him look at a woman the way he looks at you,” Ellie gave her a warm smile, “I know he says he loves you, on a near hourly basis sometimes, but I think you may underestimate the depths of what he feels for you, and perhaps the depths of your own feelings for him.”

Sarah smiled at what Ellie had just said, “It’s scary, sometimes, how fast I fell for him and how much I love him.”

“Well maybe you can use this mission as a test run for what it would be like to be really married,” Ellie suggested, “I mean going from living together to being married is more of a switch than you may think. Let yourself get into it, by the time your mission is done, I think you’ll know if you’re ready to take the next step or not.”

“You may be right,” Sarah admitted. “Oh, I like that one,” She pointed to a strapless slate blue floor-length gown with a fitted bodice and slight A-line skirt that draped down from the hips. “That one is nice too,” She pointed toward a royal blue dress with spaghetti straps, a v-neckline, fitted bodice with a interwoven design that fell in a triangle from between the bust down to the waistline and around the waist of the dress, and long flowing skirt, “I especially like the silver filigree design around the bodice.”

“I’ll try both on, see what looks best,” Ellie smiled, quickly changing into one dress and then the other. “So, what do you think?”

“I think Devon is going to be speechless,” Sarah grinned, “Now get dressed, we have to let the guys know what color tie Devon needs to wear, and then get our hair and makeup done.”

“Maybe get a little something to eat, too,” Ellie suggested, “All I had for breakfast was a piece of toast while I was trying to wrangle the heard of cats that is my husband, daughter and niece.”

“Sorry about that,” Sarah gave her an apologetic smile, “I didn’t know Chuck had taken her over to your place this morning.”

“Hey, get your time together when you can get it,” Ellie shrugged, “Lord knows we’ve passed Clara off with you guys to have some time together a few times ourselves. That’s what families do. Truth be told, in another year or so, we may be sending Clara over to play more often so that Devon and I can have a little more ‘Mommy and Daddy time,’ if you get my drift.”

“Are you two thinking of having another one?” Sarah raised an eyebrow as the two women changed back into the clothes they’d worn to the shoot.

“Not right away,” Ellie gave a half shrug as she tied her shoes, “We have discussed it, and always knew we wanted at least two or three, but we want to wait until Clara is a little older. That way we can be sure she understands what is going on. Plus, it will give me time to complete my fellowship.”

“Probably a good idea,” Sarah nodded, pulling her hair out of the collar of her, or rather Chuck’s, shirt.

“Have you and Chuck talked about adding to your family?” Ellie arched an eyebrow at the younger woman.

“Not really,” Sarah shook her head, “At least not in such concrete terms. We may not have the most conventional relationship, but there are a few milestones we should probably hit before considering adding another little person to the mix.”

“Or a particular stone,” Ellie gave Sarah a knowing look, causing her to blush slightly.

“Yeah, maybe that, too,” Sarah smiled sheepishly, “Now let’s go get some food, unlike you, I didn’t get anything to eat this morning.”

“I thought Chuck brought you breakfast in bed,” Ellie arched an eyebrow, “That was the whole reason for bringing Molly over this morning, so you could enjoy a quiet breakfast together.”

“Well, we kinda got a little… distracted…” Sarah smirked, “And it certainly wasn’t what one would consider quiet.”

“Oh God, that is my little brother you are talking about!” Ellie protested.

“What?” Sarah teased, “You were the one pressing for details about any future nieces and nephews.”

“I would rather think of any children borne of you and my brother came by way of spontaneous conception,” Ellie groaned as they made their way to the craft services table.

“Oh please, you, of all people, should know that’s not the way it works,” Sarah laughed, “Although the real process is much more appealing… and fun.” 

“Gah, okay you can stop now,” Ellie groaned, “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“You started it,” Sarah reminded her.

“Doesn’t mean you have to finish it,” Ellie rolled her eyes, “Oh look food, lets eat before they kidnap and prettify us.”

“Nice segue,” Sarah grinned at her friend, “Actually those muffins look pretty good, maybe I should ask Chuck if he would mind buttering one for me.”

“I’ll butter anything you want, Baby,” Chuck snuck up behind Sarah and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck as she placed a muffin and some fruit on her plate.

“Can you two please just stop?” Ellie groaned and focused on loading up her plate.

“What’s wrong with her?” Chuck asked, releasing Sarah to grab his own plate.

“I made mention of our activities this morning and she flipped out.” Sarah shrugged.

“Oh really?” Chuck arched an eyebrow at his sister, “After all the veiled and not-so-veiled innuendo I had to put up with from you and Awesome from the inception of your relationship. Ah how the tables have turned.” Sarah couldn’t help but laugh when he gave her the Bartowski eyebrow dance, “Perhaps it’s time to give her a little taste of her own medicine.”

“No,” Sarah shook her head, “I think I scarred her enough for one day, there will be other days, other times.”

“So, did you find your outfits for today?” Chuck asked, as they found a table with some chairs around it. Sarah, Chuck, and Ellie all taking seats and digging into their food.

“Yep,” Sarah nodded, popping a bit of cantaloupe in her mouth, “All we have to do is meet with the hair and makeup team to finish the looks.”

“That’s awesome,” Devon gave his wife a kiss on the cheek as he took a seat across from his brother-in-law and kitty-corner from his wife and Sarah. “I think we’re all set on our end too.”

“Oh, speaking of,” Ellie spoke up, “We asked the clothing lady to make sure your tie matches my dress for the wedding photos. She should have it waiting for you when you are ready to get dressed.”

“And on that note,” Chuck turned to Sarah, “We should probably go get ready, Savannah wants us to get started on the pictures within the hour, something about optimal natural lighting or something like that.”

“Alright,” Sarah nodded, taking her last bite of muffin, “I guess we’ll see you later.”

“Have fun,” Ellie smiled at the younger couple, “Well, maybe not too much fun.”

“We’ll be too busy for that,” Sarah countered, “And even if we are able to find the time, you won’t know because you can’t handle the truth that your brother is the best lover I have ever had.”

Ellie groaned as Sarah gave her one last cheeky grin and headed back toward the tents.

“Was that really necessary?” Chuck whispered to her, a slight blush rising up his neck.

“No, but it was fun,” Sarah pressed a sensual kiss to his lips, trying to not grin at the eye roll she received from her best friend at the action, “Besides what I said was pretty mild compared to the innumerable times you’ve walked in on the Awesomes’ activities.”

“True,” Chuck acquiesced, “Now go get dolled up, I have some proposing to do.”

“I’ll see you in a bit, handsome,” Sarah smiled up at him.

“Not if I see you first,” He grinned back and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek before they both disappeared into their respective changing areas.

Sarah couldn’t help but smile when they met up at the golf cart that would take them to the sites of their first two shoots. It had taken a little longer for her makeup and hair to be done so Chuck was already waiting for her when she emerged from her tent. He was wearing a pair of black sneakers with dark grey laces; dark wash, slim-fit jeans; and a light grey, short-sleeved, button-down shirt with thin vertical stripes. The outfit showed off all her favorite aspects of his fit body, if the outfit wasn’t enough to set her off, the moment she emerged, his eyes immediately found her as a broad smile spread across his face, making her weak in the knees. He said a few words to his sister to excuse himself and casually loped over to where she stood.

“Wow, you look beautiful,” He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek so as to not smudge her lip coloring, “Would you like me to carry your garment bag?”

“I would appreciate that,” She smiled back at him, handing the garment bag to him and watching the muscles play along his upper body as he swung the bag to hang over his shoulder by the hanger, “You look pretty handsome yourself, Mr. Danvers, lead the way.” She took his offered hand and interlaced their fingers as he led them over to where the golf cart and its driver sat waiting for them.

Chuck released Sarah’s hand so that he could put the garment bag in the back along with his and turned to see his sister and girlfriend sharing a hug.

“You two look great,” Ellie beamed, “I can’t wait to see how the pictures turn out.”

“We’ll share them with you, promise, sis,” Chuck promised, slipping his arm around Sarah’s back, “Heck, depending on how they want us to approve the proofs, we may just have you look them over with us just to get a second opinion.

“Mr. Carmichael, we are expected on set shortly,” The driver reminded them gently.

“We will be right there,” Chuck nodded and turned to Sarah, “Ready to go?”

“As I’ll ever be,” She nodded.

They exchanged one last round of hugs with the Awesomes, Ellie holding him a little longer and making it known to him, in no uncertain terms, she expected this to happen for real sometime in the near future. Chuck rolled his eyes and told her that it would happen when the timing is right. He kissed his sister’s cheek then turned to assist Sarah into the cart. Once they were both seated, the cart took off down the pathway.

“I can see why they chose this place for the shoot,” Chuck looked around as they passed through different sections that looked like parks, store fronts, formal venues, and the like.

“No kidding,” Sarah nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder as they rode along. The cart slowed as they approached a small stream with a wooden bridge with lattice guard rails. Sitting on a bench along the side of the stream was a woman about their age, with lightly tanned skin, long thick brown hair that was styled in defined curls, warm hazel eyes, and a large smile.

“Hi, I’m Deanna,” She greeted them, one hand extended to them while the other held the camera around her neck still. “You must be Charles and Sarah.”

“That would be us,” Chuck nodded, shaking the woman’s hand, “Please call me Chuck.”

“Wow, I didn’t know anyone called their kids Chuck anymore,” She chuckled.

“Yeah, well my parents were sadists,” He joked.

“Don’t listen to him,” Sarah rolled her eyes, shaking the photographer’s hand, “He chooses to go by Chuck.” She saw the surprised look on his face, “What? Your sister and I talk, I know your parents called you ‘Charles’ growing up, not ‘Chuck.’”

“Well I guess my secret’s out,” Chuck shrugged, “So, Deanna, where do we start?”

“I have a few ideas,” She looked around, “But first, as this is meant to be a pivotal point in your relationship, look around and think ‘If I were to propose to the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, how would I go about it and where would I pop the question?’”

Chuck looked at Deanna then at Sarah before casting a discerning eye around where they were, “Well, I would want to take her back to the beginning as much as I could,” He spoke, evaluating each area as potential, “According to their legend, they met in college when they both picked the same tree to study under. So, I would say under the tree over there, maybe,” He pointed to a walnut tree in the middle distance but near the stream.

“That would be a good place,” Deanna nodded.

“Or, I could just walk her through the gardens here as we talked and enjoyed each other’s company,” Chuck added, “Maybe stopping on the bridge over there, watching the water or the sky, and after a little small talk, propose there.”

“I like both of those ideas,” Deanna agreed, “So let’s get both, and I would like to get some shots on the park bench as well. You can select which looks the best later, this way you have some variety.”

“Sounds good, where do we start?” Chuck asked, looking between Deanna and Sarah.

“I think the bridge first,” Deana suggested, “No need to have you kneeling in the dirt too soon.”

“Got it,” Chuck nodded, offering his hand to Sarah, “Mi’lady?”

Sarah smiled at him and took his hand, allowing him to interlace their fingers as they strolled toward the middle of the footbridge until Deanna told them to stop.

“Okay,” Deanna raised her camera to her eye to gage the focus on the camera, “Now I want this to be as authentic as you can make it, so talk to her as you kneel and pull out the ring. Whenever you’re ready.”

Chuck gave her a thumbs up and turned back to Sarah, “So, here we go,” He let out a breath, “If I were to do this for real, I would tell you how much I love you. How having you in my life has been the best thing to ever happen to me and that I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” He reached into his pocket, “I would tell you that I will always love you and look forward to waking up every day to you.” He pulled out the box and lowered himself to one knee before her, holding the ring box in one hand and her hand in the other. “I would probably pause right here for you to fully understand what I am about to ask of you,” He opened the box to reveal the ring nestled inside on a satin pillow, “And then I would ask you if you would do me the great honor of being my wife as there is no one else I can imagine being by my side for the rest of our lives.”

Sarah stood, listening to everything he was saying, her heart swelling as each declaration was stated, “If this were even remotely real,” She smiled down at him, taking in the sight before her, the ring in his hand, the hopeful look in his eyes, the way his hair was curling over his forehead adorably. She brushed a stray curl off his forehead and met his eyes once more, “I would tell you I loved you too, that I couldn’t have asked for a better partner, lover, and father to my current and future children. I would make you wait a few seconds for my answer then, finally, tell you that I would love nothing more than to marry you and be your wife.”

Chuck beamed up at her as he released her hand long enough to withdraw the ring before putting the box back in his pocket and reclaiming her left hand in his. He slid the ring over her slender finger then kissed her hand before standing once again and embracing her and giving her a passionate kiss. They were so lost in the moment that they almost didn’t hear Deanna telling them she’d gotten the shot and directing them to the next proposal location. Sarah gave Chuck a brief smile before hesitantly removing the ring from her finger and handing it back to him so they could repeat the process in the two other suggested locations. Each time Chuck’s lead up changed ever so slightly, but the love in his voice for her was the same, and the vision of their future holding even more detail than the previous time.

“Alright, people, that’s it for this set,” Deanna called out, “Lets reset for the engagement photos, Chuck, Sarah, that tent over there is for you to change. You have 20 minutes to get changed and for Chuck to get a trim, and a shave. Time starts now.”

Sarah and Chuck ducked into the tent to find it partitioned into three sections. The left held Chuck’s change of clothes, the right held Sarah’s, and in the middle was hair and makeup. They were quickly sent into the center section, while Sarah’s makeup was touched up and her hair was restyled, a barber had Chuck in a director’s chair, trimming back his shaggy curls until they were a little more controlled. The curl was still there but with the product that was put into his hair, it was more defined and stylish. Next, they were pushed into their separate changing areas.

“Chuck, could you help me, please?” Sarah called over the partitions, “I can’t reach my zipper.”

“If you can help me with my tie,” Chuck called back, “I suddenly have become all thumbs.”

The pair met in the middle, Sarah carrying her blue cardigan in her hands, her dress baggy around her torso. Chuck was dressed in a pair of grey slacks, and a light blue button-down shirt, in his right hand he carried a tie with a diagonal blue and grey plaid design.

“Ladies first,” Chuck gave her a small smile, which she returned as she turned her back to him. She felt her dress fit gradually tighter around her as she felt his warm hands pulling up on the tab of her zipper. Once the dress was fully zipped up, she felt him fasten the hook and eye at the neckline of the dress before feeling his breath against the side of her neck as he pressed a soft kiss where her left shoulder and neck met.

“Thank you,” Sarah turned and held out her hand for his tie, “Bend down a little,” He did as he was instructed and waited for her to unfold his collar and guide the fabric around the back of his neck before standing up once more. As she had many times before, she made quick work of a four-in-hand knot and tightened it just enough to close his shirt and still give him room to breathe. He bent down once more to allow her to adjust his collar over the tie, standing as she smoothed the narrow material against his muscular chest and abdomen. “Looking sharp, Mr. Danvers,” She gave him a brilliant smile and she pulled lightly on his tie to lower his lips to hers.

“You just about rea… oops,” They heard Deanna’s voice, “Sorry, guys, didn’t mean to interrupt the moment. Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, we’re good,” Chuck nodded, he held out his hand for Sarah’s sweater and helped her on with it before following the photographer back to the site of the proposal shots.

“Hey, where are the other rings?” Sarah asked as they exited the tent.

“I gave them to Awesome to hold onto until later today,” Chuck shrugged, “I didn’t want to lose them with the clothing change and all.”

“Yeah, probably a good idea,” Sarah nodded.

Deanna watched the two agents interact, she’d worked with so many different people from dignitaries to businesspeople to celebrities doing all sorts of photography. Even working with the actors and musicians, even some real couples, she’d never seen such easy chemistry between two people. _I wonder if they are really a couple or if this is all an act… No, this has to be real, no one is that good at acting._ She thought to herself as she led the pair back to where they started.

“Alright, before we begin, Chuck, you need to loosen up the outfit,” Deanna stated, “Loosen the tie a little, roll up the sleeves to, say, just below your elbow.” She watched as he did as she instructed, “Great, now unbutton the top button,” Again, he did as instructed, “Perfect. We are going to start on the bridge once more. Sarah, I want you standing at the apex of the bridge looking out over the water. Chuck, you are going to go up behind her and wrap your arms around her waist.”

The agents nodded and got into position, Deanna watched as Chuck wound his long arms around Sarah’s waist as she naturally leaned back into him, her arms folded in front of her as they rested on his forearms, showing a level of trust that was rarely seen by Deanna in these kinds of situations. She looked down for just a moment to remove the lens cap from the front of her camera and nearly missed the soft kiss that Chuck placed on the side of Sarah’s neck, just below her ear, causing the woman to light up. Before the moment was gone, she quickly snapped a few pictures of the interaction before calling their attention back to herself. She had them try a few different positions, from Sarah seated on the rail, leaning back on Chuck who held her firm to her perch, to them facing each other, holding hands and staring deep into each other’s eyes, she even let them choose a pose and was surprised when Chuck grabbed Sarah in his arms and dipped her, the joy on their faces as they laughed at his antics were forever memorialized in her camera’s memory card, “I think that’s going to be a winner,” She murmured to herself as she looked in the preview window.

“That was great, now if you two could please come over to the bench here?” She directed them once more, having them sit side by side, in various poses. They ended the engagement portion of the session under the walnut tree with them, once again facing each other, hand in hand and staring into each other’s eyes. By now Deanna knew even a blind man could see the love that the two had for each other. Which is why it didn’t surprise her when they both unconsciously took a step closer and Chuck’s hands drifted up Sarah’s arms until one hand cupped her cheek and the other buried itself in her hair as he pressed a loving kiss to her lips while her hands rested on his sides.

She had no doubt that one day, perhaps soon, she or another photographer would be joining these two for another photography session. The next time to celebrate their real-life engagement. For now, she was going to allow herself to enjoy the day and the photos she was able to capture both when they were aware of her and when they forgot and dropped all pretenses, focusing only on each other, which was when she got her best shots.

“Okay, you two, I think we have everything we need here,” Deanna’s voice cut through their bliss as they both pulled back, twin blushes rising to their cheeks, “It’s time to get back to the main staging area for the wedding shots.”

The pair nodded and dutifully climbed into the golf card to be shuttle back to where their friends were waiting for their return. As they drew closer, they saw that the space had been redecorated to look like a wedding reception, the craft service table had been covered with a nice tablecloth, the breakfast and snack foods exchanged for appetizers. Their work friends and family were already dressed for the next set of photos, only Elle and Devon were missing, emerging only when Chuck and Sarah’s golf cart arrived.

Ellie looked gorgeous in the dark blue dress with the spaghetti straps. Her hair was pulled back into an artistically messy loose chignon that lay just behind her left ear. She was wearing a pair of silver and cubic zirconia drop earrings that sparkled in the mid-afternoon light. Devon was behind her, fastening a matching necklace around her neck. Devon, of course, looked every bit the male model he had been in college. His tux fit him well, and his tie matched Ellie’s dress exactly, he even had a pocket square the same color as the filigree detailing on Ellie’s dress.

“Hey, you’re back!” Ellie beamed when she saw them, “How did the first two sets go?”

“I think they went well,” Chuck shrugged.

“I can’t wait to see them,” Ellie enthused. “Sarah, are you ready to get into your dress?”

“Well, at least start the hair and makeup,” Sarah nodded, “Because we both know that may take a while.”

“True,” Ellie chuckled, “I don’t know how long they had me in the chair on my wedding day, it seemed like forever, but that could have also been the nerves.”

“You were nervous on your wedding day?” Sarah’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as the women made their way into their tent.

“I wasn’t nervous about getting married,” Ellie explained, “More worried I would trip on my way down the aisle or forget my vows. Of course, that all vanished the moment those doors opened, and I saw Devon. It helped that Chuck was there to keep me upright.”

“Yeah, he’s good for that,” Sarah grinned, easing up into the chair. She and Ellie continued to chat as the makeup artist and then hairdresser worked their magic, Ellie offering the occasional suggestion on the look for the wedding photos.

“Alright, Miss Walker,” The hairdresser nodded as she placed the last hairpin in her design. “I think you are ready for your dress, now. I’ll add the finishing touches once you’re done.”

“Thank you,” Sarah smiled at her in the mirror before getting up and following Ellie around the partition where the dress had been steamed and hung for her. Once she had disrobed, she reached for the dress only to be stopped by Ellie.

“I would recommend putting on your shoes first,” She gave her friend a soft smile, “It’ll be easier for you to get them on now rather than waiting until after you’re in the gown.”

“Good idea,” Sarah nodded, bending over to pick up her shoes and taking a seat on a chair in the corner. She had just finished fastening the strap of the white strappy heeled sandals she’d chosen when she noticed Ellie giving her a strange look. “What?”

“Do you always wear a garter with knives in it?” Ellie asked, her eyes focused on Sarah’s upper thigh.

“If I’m in a skirt, or dress, yes.” Sarah shrugged, “When I wear pants, I have a sheath that fits in the inside of my waist band so I can carry them concealed, or if I’m wearing boots, I’ll wear an ankle holster and keep them there.”

“Aren’t you worried that...” Ellie started.

“Nope,” Sarah shook her head, “Chuck knows they’re there, and Molly is too short to reach them. Not to mention that the blades are covered so there’s no risk of either of them cutting themselves by accident by touching my back or thigh.”

“Do you need to use them that often?” Ellie asked.

“I use them more often than I use my gun,” Sarah shrugged, “I prefer not to use lethal means when I don’t need to.”

“As a doctor who has treated her fair share of bullet wounds, I thank you,” Ellie helped her to her feet, “Ready for your dress?”

“Yep,” Sarah smiled as Ellie pulled the dress from the hanger.

“I think stepping in might be best,” Ellie advised, “Less chance of messing up your hair and makeup.”

“Good idea,” Sarah nodded, When Ellie stooped down, she placed her hand on her shoulder and stepped into the yards of fabric that lay pooled on the ground. She watched as the fabric straightened out, the higher on her body the dress came. Ellie paused a moment for her to slip her arms into the shoulder straps. Once the dress was in place, she waited patiently for Ellie to button up the back of the dress. She turned to look at herself in the mirror that was off to her right side, “Oh my God, if it’s even possible, it looks better than it did this morning.”

“You are beautiful,” Ellie confirmed, “Chuck is going to flip when he sees you, I have your train, let’s head back to hair and makeup to take care of the finishing touches.”

“Okay,” Sarah nodded. Thankfully, the finishing touches didn’t take long, just touching up her lipstick and spraying her hair once more to tame the fly-aways. Her hair had been pulled back in an elegant, loose bun at the crown of her head. One of the final touches was that a long, gauzy veil had been added below the bun, the blusher was just long enough to come up over her head and lay about level with her clavicle. She took in the complete picture from the hairstyle to the veil to the satin dress she wore with the thin shoulder straps, v-neck, fitted bodice and long flowing skirt, she looked every bit the blushing bride.

“Wow,” Ellie sighed from just over her shoulder, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think we were really getting ready for your wedding. You need to see if they will let you keep the dress.”

Sarah gave her a semi-hopeful look, “You think they would?”

“The worst they can say is, ‘No,’” Ellie shrugged, adjusting how the veil lay down Sarah’s back, “Are you ready to take some pretty pictures?”

“Let’s do this,” Sarah smiled up at her new friend as she lifted the skirt of her dress until the train no longer dragged the ground behind her.

“Wait,” Ellie stopped her before she reached the door of the tent, “Let me grab my phone, I want to get a picture of Chuck’s face when he sees you.”

Sarah chuckled and shook her head as she watched Ellie search through her purse and pull out her phone, “Ready!” Ellie smiled triumphantly before the two headed out of the tent.

Almost the instant they exited the tent, Chuck and Devon looked over from where they stood talking. Both men had smiles on their faces as they turned, but as Chuck fully took in Sarah’s appearance, his expression changed to that of shock mixed with unfettered love and happiness. He was practically glued to his spot as the women approached them. Sarah could hear Ellie’s camera clicking away as they walked towards the men, not realizing that some of the pictures were capturing the similar look of love on her face.

“Wow,” Chuck gave her a wide smile, “I mean, you look breathtaking.”

“Thank you,” Sarah ducked her head to hide the blush that rose to her cheeks, “You look pretty wow yourself.”

She took a moment to truly take in her boyfriend from his newly recut hair which now had a little curl on top and was close cut along the sides, he had a little product in his hair to help the remaining curls appear more defined and coifed than they usually did. He wore a classic slim-fit tuxedo with a black tie and a pale blue pocket square the same color as Sarah’s eyes, something he’d specifically asked for. His pants had a satin line running down the outer seam of each leg and he wore a pair of dress shoes that had been polished to a mirror shine. If there weren’t so many people around, she would have said to forget the photoshoot and dragged him off to one of the tents to show him exactly how much she appreciated the way he looked in his tux.

“Hey, I got something for you,” Chuck gave her a warm smile as he pulled a box from his pocket and opened it, revealing the wedding bands that completed the set. Taking her hand in his, he removed the engagement ring from her finger then slid the wedding band followed by the engagement ring back on her finger before kissing the back of her hand. “I love you, Mrs. Danvers.”

He handed the box over to her and waited patiently as she pulled his ring out of the box and slid it onto his finger before lifting up on her toes and pressing a soft kiss to his lips, “I love you too, Mr. Danvers.” Their embrace was interrupted by a horn honking. They all turned and saw a small silver Camry driving up the lane. As the car drew closer, they saw it was Emma behind the wheel.

“What is your mom doing here?” Chuck turned to Sarah.

“I have no idea,” She shook her head.

“I called her,” Ellie beamed, “I figured that if you wanted me to be in the pictures to lend credibility, your mom should be too. She does know what you do for a living, doesn’t she?”

“She does,” Sarah nodded, “I kinda had to tell her when I came home with Molly in tow.”

Emma pulled the car to a stall near where the other cars had parked and stepped out of the car, looking around and waiving when she finally spotted the four young adults that she now considered her children. She quickly stepped toward the back seat and opened the passenger door, making quick work of releasing Clara’s car seat restraints before rounding the car and, setting Clara on the ground while she did the same for Molly. Once both girls were free of their constraints, she picked Clara back up and walked over to the girls’ parents with a girl on each hip.

“Mom?” Sarah looked at her, “What are you doing here?”

“Did you really think I’d miss the opportunity to see my daughter in a wedding dress?” Emma challenged as she handed the girls off to their fathers, “This may be my only chance. You look beautiful, by the way.” She gave her daughter a hug and kissed her cheek before turning over her shoulder, “Chuck, you look very dapper, too.”

“Thanks, Emma,” Chuck gave her a small smile. “I’m guessing you are wanting to get in on the fun?”

“If I can,” Emma shrugged, “Assuming there is someone to watch the girls.”

“I think we can figure something out,” Deanna approached them, “Hello, I’m Deanna Kaye, the photographer.”

“Emma, I’m the ‘bride’s’ mother.” She held out her hand to shake Deanna’s.

“Nice to meet you,” Deanna smiled, “And who are these two?”

“That is Clara, my niece,” Chuck nodded toward the girl in Awesome’s arms, “And this is our daughter, Molly.”

"Yeah, you can definitely tell,” Deanna looked between the little girl, Chuck, and Sarah, noticing Molly’s curly hair and coloring. “So, you two really are a couple? I thought this was just a photo shoot.”

“Yeah, we are,” Sarah nodded, “We’re not quite to this step,” She nodded toward their get-ups, “But we are a real couple.”

“That’s gotta be fun working together,” Deanna remarked.

“It has its ups and downs,” Chuck shrugged, thinking of the missions when he or Sarah had to use their seduction training on the job, “But for the most part, it’s worked out for us.”

"You know, once we are done with the wedding shoot, if you want, we can do some family portraits,” Deanna offered.

“That would be great,” Chuck nodded, “Just of us?”

“The whole family, if you like,” She shrugged, “Time allowing, of course.”

“I would really like that,” Sarah nodded, “We don’t have any professional pictures of us, just snapshots we captured on our phones.”

“Then that’s it, we have to do it now,” Deanna smiled at them, “Emma, if you want to duck into that tent over there, I’m sure we can find something for you to wear.”

“Thank you,” Emma nodded and headed toward the indicated tent, which was being held open by one of the hair and makeup artists.

Thirty minutes later, two of the makeup artists had the girls on a blanket that had been found, playing, as the adults made their way to where Deanna had set up her cameras and lighting equipment. Emma had found a lovely floor length dress in silver with a beaded, short-sleeved, jacket over top. Her hair had been curled and fell gracefully to her shoulders. As soon as she had joined the rest of the group, the photo session started in earnest.

“Alright, let’s start out with the family photos first,” Deanna’s direction was more order than suggestion, “Sarah and Emma, front and center. We are going to start with you.” Deanna then proceeded to take several pictures of the two of them in various poses; standing next to one another, Emma kissing Sarah’s cheek, and even fixing Sarah’s veil so it lay over her face.

Once she was done with them, Deanna moved on to Chuck, Ellie and Devon. Some pictures had Ellie and Devon bracketing Chuck, others were just Ellie and Chuck, including one with her ‘pinning’ on his boutonniere. It was bittersweet for them as, just a few years ago, they’d been taking similar pictures at Ellies wedding and real as hers was and as fake as these pictures were, they both still sharply felt the absence of their parents. As the pictures were taken, his resolve grew ever firmer to start looking for his parents so that, when the time came, they could be at his wedding. Along with the resolve was the pang of guilt that came with it, telling him that he should have done the same for Ellie’s wedding, or at least when she told him that she was pregnant with Clara.

“Chuck?” His sister snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, you kinda spaced out there for a minute, Bro,” Devon added.

“I’m fine, just got lost in thought,” Chuck shook his head of the remaining thoughts and refocused on what he was doing in the present.

“Alright, we are going to do a few pictures of the whole family and wedding party, since they are all one and the same,” Deanna gave them a humored smile, “Then I want to get some of the bride and groom to wrap this part up.”

The family and party pictures didn’t take too long. They did the basic poses, all with Chuck and Sarah in the middle, first with Ellie and Devon next to Chuck and Emma next to Sarah. They took some straight pictures as well as some fun ones of the family. Deanna then had Emma step out, and had Ellie stand next to Sarah and Devon next to Chuck. Once she had all the pictures to her satisfaction, she focused on Chuck and Sarah.

Deanna smiled softly as she found she didn’t need to give much direction as the two were constantly drawn to each other. She could feel the love radiating off the two of them as they were constantly in contact with each other, whether it was Chuck’s hand on Sarah’s back, Sarah leaning against Chuck’s shoulder, or them holding hands as she continued to snap pictures of them. She quickly exhausted all her ideas and called a wrap on the session. “Alright, I think that will do it, unless anyone can think of anything I missed?” When no one responded, she nodded resolutely, “Alright then, Woodcombs and Carmichaels, please go change for your family portraits while we reset here.” She watched as they split off, Sarah and Ellie to their wardrobe tent and Chuck and Devon to theirs. “Emma, did you happen to bring a change of clothes for the girls?”

“You have nothing to worry about there,” Emma smiled, “Their parents never send them anywhere without at least two changes of clothes. I’m sure I can come up with something for both of them.”

“Alright, if you could please get them ready while those four get changed, that would be great,” Deanna instructed.

“I’m on it,” The older woman nodded and headed off to the tent where she’d gotten dressed to change into her clothes and get the girls ready. Since they didn’t have anything to do for a few minutes, the makeup ladies offered to get the girls dressed while Emma changed to which she nodded her thanks.

Ellie and Sarah made quick work of getting out of their dresses, making sure to hang Sarah’s dress in the garment bag that had mysteriously shown up in the dressing area of their tent. Ellie promised to sneak the bag into the back of the van while Sarah and Chuck’s pictures were being taken and then would hide the dress in their guest room behind her own dress until the day came that Sarah would need it again. They both had discussed the outfits they’d sent the girls to daycare with and chose their next outfits accordingly. Since the cosmetologists were still getting the girl’s dressed, they reset their own hair and makeup.

Sarah had decided on a blue knee length dress with puff sleeves, camp breast pockets, and buttons down the entire front of the dress. She paired it with nude pumps and had her hair down in waves. Ellie chose a beige top with flutter sleeves, black polka dots, and belt that she paired with black slacks and flats. She likewise had her hair down but had pulled it half up in a messy bun. Emerging from the tent, it wasn’t hard to find the rest of their family as they had congregated over where the ‘wedding’ photos had been taken. It had been reset as Deanna said it would be, instead of the lattice arch interwoven with flowers that had been there before, there was a frame with a canvas backdrop set up.

“I wanted these pictures to look like you had gotten them done in a studio,” Deanna explained with a shrug before directing them into place. She’d found a few apple boxes and set them on their sides and instructed the women to sit on them. Emma in the middle with Sarah and Ellie bracketing her, their daughters on their laps and their respective spouses standing behind them in the gap between them and Emma. After looking at the configuration, Deanna chuckled, “Okay, so I think I may have underestimated how tall you guys were.” She had her assistant bring her two more apple boxes and had the women stand again so she could set their apple boxes upside down and then set up the men’s boxes on their sides before having everyone sit down in the same configuration she’d had them in previously, this time without the pronounced height difference. “Much better,” She smiled, giving them a few more directions and snapping pictures until she was sure she had gotten a few where everyone was looking the same way with their eyes open and smiling.

Resetting the staging she had Devon sit on the riser, legs spread with Ellie between them and Clara on her lap. The contrast of his black button-down shirt and khaki chinos worked well with Ellie’s outfit and set the perfect background for their daughter’s short-sleeved dress printed with large purple flowers. Tickling the girl got the smile that they were looking for, after changing poses a few more times, Deanna told them they were done and could go change back into their normal clothes while she took the Danvers’, as she had come to call them, pictures.

Chuck had chosen a pair of black chinos with a slate grey button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to below his elbows. Deanna had found them standing off to the side, Sarah had Molly, who wore a pair of light grey leggings and a navy-blue shirtdress with short sleeves, propped on her hip with Chuck’s arm around her shoulder as he bent down to speak to her. Whatever he was saying must have humored her or pleased her based on the amused smile on her face. Deanna couldn’t help but get a few pictures of them before getting their attention to take the posed photos. She took a few with Emma joining them, but the majority of the pictures were of Chuck, Sarah, and Molly.

“Okay, I think we’re done here,” She smiled handing her camera to one of her assistants to put away, “You can go change now and I’ll meet you over at the picnic tables when you’re done.”

Chuck and Sarah nodded and, handing Molly over to Emma to get changed, departed to change into the clothes they’d worn in that morning. Once everyone was reassembled at the picnic tables, Deanna thanked them for their time and stated how much of a pleasure it had been to work with their family to create the photographic memories for them. She offered to work with them again if they ever needed someone to take family portraits and informed them that she would be sending the prints to Chuck and Sarah to approve within the next couple days. Shaking their hands, she released them to head home. The family shared hugs and kisses, and thanks to Emma for bringing the girls, before disbursing to their respective vehicles.

“Well that was fun,” Sarah commented, placing a now sleepy Molly into the car seat in the back of the SUV and strapping her in.

“I agree,” Chuck nodded, holding her door open for her as she climbed in. He rounded the SUV quickly and slid behind the wheel to drive them home. It had been a long day for all of them, and all they wanted to do now was go home, maybe eat a little dinner, and head to bed.


	25. Chapter 25

“Today is the day?” Ellie inquired as she watched her little brother load the last suitcase into the back of the Prius. While his and Sarah’s wardrobe was taken care of by the company, they felt it was best to just bring Molly’s clothes with them along with a few of her favorite toys.

“Yeah, it is,” Chuck gave her a sad smile before drawing her into a tight hug, “But we’ll only be about 45 minutes away, and we’ll have you over to visit as much as we can, mission allowing. Don’t forget, you and Sarah still have Molly’s birthday and Josie’s shower to plan, so you’ll be up at the house for planning sessions with Sarah.”

“I know,” Ellie sighed, “It’s just weird to me that you are going to be living so far away. I know we’re adults now and this was going to eventually happen, but I kind of always thought that we would live near each other.”

“Elle, this is just a mission,” Chuck assured her, “We’ll be back here before you know it. You know I can’t be without you; besides you know that if I were ever to move away, it would be a coordinated effort involving the purchase of two houses in the same neighborhood, preferably on the same street. Morgan would probably have the house right next door to me.”

“You are still holding onto the shared backyard pool fantasy?” She rolled her eyes.

“Oh, c’mon Sis,” Chuck jokingly protested, “Tell me that’s not a cool idea, shared back yard with a pool spanning the property line and a play set for our current and future children. You could live on the other side, think about it one large, three property wide backyard! It would be, for lack of a better term, awesome!”

“Sharing a backyard with Morgan,” Ellie shook her head, “No, thank you.”

“You don’t know what you’d be missing out on,” Chuck smiled at her.

“I think I do,” She assured him, “Hard pass, but I might be able to endure being in the same neighborhood again.”

“Like when we were kids,” Chuck nodded.

“What is like when you were kids?” Sarah looked between the siblings as she carried Molly toward the car, diaper bag on her shoulder.

“Living in the same neighborhood with Morgan,” Chuck shrugged.

“Oh, right, the shared backyard proposition?” She rolled her eyes, “Yeah, we’ll just see about that.”

“Ha!” Ellie smirked triumphantly, “She’s on my side with this!”

“Although I wouldn’t protest having a shared backyard with you and Devon as our neighbors,” Sarah shrugged, “I think it would be nice to have a large property that the girls could play in, although I fear the playset that Chuck and Devon would devise and set up if we were to do that.”

“It would be pretty awesome,” Chuck grinned, causing both women to roll their eyes at the obvious pun.

“We should probably get going if we are going to meet the ‘movers,’” Sarah advised, “Ellie, we’ll have you guys over for dinner as soon as we are settled in.”

“Sounds good,” Ellie gave her a hug and kissed Molly on the cheek, “I’ll see you later baby girl.”

“Lee!” The girl squealed.

“That’s right, Sweet Pea,” Chuck grinned, “That’s your Auntie Ellie!” He hugged his sister and kissed her cheek, “Bye Elle, we’ll see you later, give Devon and Clara our love.”

“I will, drive safe.” She nodded, “Love you.”

“Love you too sis,” Chuck gave her a soft smile as he loaded his family up in the Prius and took off toward Sherman Oaks. An hour later, they were pulling into the driveway of their new, albeit temporary, home, “Here we are.”

“Home sweet home,” Sarah nodded, opening her door and going to the back seat to retrieve Molly. Chuck followed, pulling the house keys from his pocket as he joined them on the porch. He unlocked the door and held up a hand to stop Sarah, “Wait here,” He instructed before taking Molly from her and setting her down in the empty living room and walking back out to where Sarah was standing.

“What are you up to, Mr. Danvers?” Sarah challenged him, playfully.

“We have to make this official,” He gave her a mischievous grin, “Which means carrying my bride over the threshold.”

Sarah didn’t get a chance to respond as he swept her up in his arms, causing her to squeal in surprise and delight as he carried her into the house and set her down. He pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her lips as he kicked the door shut behind them. “Welcome home Mrs. Danvers.”

“Glad to be home, Mr. Danvers,” She smiled against his lips. Their kiss was broken by Molly crawling over to them and pulling herself up using their legs, calling her father’s name. Sarah chuckled, “I think someone is getting a little jealous.”

“Nah, she just wants a little lovin’, don’t you, Sweet Pea,” Chuck cooed as he bent to pick up the little girl, blowing a raspberry on her neck, causing her to squeal. He settled her on his hip and looked around the empty house, “The delivery truck should be here shortly, we can wait to unload the car until they’ve gone.”

“Probably a good idea since we will have nothing to put Molly’s clothes into until they arrive,” Sarah nodded, “What time are they supposed to be here?”

They heard a set of air breaks releasing and looked outside to see the large box truck, with a red painted cargo area and _Furniture’n’stuff_ painted on the side in bold white script, parked in front of their house as four muscle-bound men hopped out of the extended cab and set to work unloading the compartment. Chuck greeted them at the door as he and Sarah directed them on where to set up the various pieces that they had brought with them. Two hours later, the furniture was put together and arranged the way that they wanted it to be. The delivery men shook Sarah and Chuck’s hands, accepting the large tip Chuck passed to them as they did so, and climbed back into the truck to head back to the warehouse.

It wasn’t a long wait until a smaller box truck arrived carrying the more delicate items, clothing, decorations, kitchen supplies and the like. The CIA team that were in the truck wasted no time in unloading their wares, putting the decorations and kitchenware where they were instructed. Chuck and Sarah insisted they leave the clothing and weapons boxes in the spare room upstairs, saying that they would take care of putting them away were they needed them. Although they did make sure that they installed the gun vault in the master bedroom and the auxiliary vault/coffee table in the living room. Chuck took the tablet one of the agents was holding and quickly programed both vaults with his and Sarah’s biometrics, explaining that he was able to do it faster than they could.

Thanking the agents, they sent them on their way and headed back upstairs. Chuck put Molly in a jumper harness in the doorway that connected the nursery and master bedroom while they set to work unloading the clothes and weapons to their proper places. Chuck had already brought up Molly’s bags, which Sarah quickly put away before checking to be sure the crib had been made up the way they wanted it to be. Looking around, she made a mental note to have Chuck paint the room, the stark white walls were a bit too bright for her liking.

Chuck knew that Sarah had a system for how she preferred her clothes to be, so he unpacked his own and left her clothes to whatever convoluted system she’d devised to organize her side of the closet and dresser as he walked down the hall to set up the computers. Aside from Molly’s things, the Orion computers were the only personal items they brought with them. He soon had them hooked up and linked-up to the CIA server. Logging in, he expected to see an email from the director with the dailies he was supposed to review, instead it was simply and email informing him to just focus on establishing their home base, seeing that Sarah had been CC’d in on the email, he closed out and headed down stairs to see if there was anything he could do down there.

A short time later, Sarah and Molly came down the stairs and disappeared into the kitchen for Molly’s lunch. He watched as Sarah cubed up some ham and cheese and placed them on the tray of the highchair that Molly was sitting in next to the dining room table before taking a seat herself to keep an eye on the little girl while she ate. As was their usual routine, Chuck ducked into the fridge, pulling out deli meat and sliced cheese along with a tomato and some lettuce and condiments. He then pulled a fresh loaf of bread from the pantry and set to making sandwiches for both himself and Sarah. She smiled her thanks to him as he set down the plates along with two glasses of water on the table. Once Molly and her parents were done eating, Chuck carried the little girl upstairs to get cleaned up and put down for her nap.

He heard the doorbell chime just as he was laying a dozing Molly in her crib and hummed a few more bars of _Hushaby Mountain_ to make sure the sudden noise didn’t awake her. Once he was sure she wasn’t going to awaken, he turned on her monitor and set off down the stairs. He got to the landing as he saw Sarah open the door with her left hand, right hand reaching behind her to her waistband holster, fingering the handle of one of her throwing knives stowed there. He quickly joined her, a wide smile on his face, as he gently lay his left hand on her wrist to stay the motion.

“Hi,” He greeted the woman on their porch holding a small casserole dish. She was a little older than them with dark hair and light skin. She wore a blouse and khaki slacks with a pastel pink sweater tied over her shoulders by its arms.

“Hello,” She smiled up at him, “I’m Vanessa, I live right over there,” She pointed to a two-story home about three over in the cul-de-sac from them with pale yellow paint and white trim, “I just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood. I brought over some of my famous tuna casserole.”

“Sounds delish, Vanessa,” Chuck replied as Sarah gave the woman a smile that only Chuck could tell was forced and took the offered dish, “And where are my manners. I’m Charles Danvers, but everyone just calls me Charlie, and this fetching creature with me is my wife, Sarah. I’d introduce you to our daughter, but we just put her down for her nap.”

“You have a daughter?” Vanessa inquired, “How old?”

“Eleven months,” Sarah provided, “Excuse me, I should probably put this away.”

“Make sure to tell her to bake that at 350o for 45 minutes,” Vanessa instructed.

“I will,” Chuck confirmed as Vanessa started to leave, “It was nice meeting you.”

“Very nice meeting you, Charlie,” She gave him an appreciative once over now that Sarah was out of eyesight, “I’ll see you around.”

“Alright,” Chuck closed the door and went into the kitchen where Sarah was scraping the contents of the casserole into the trash can.

“Don’t know if it is poisoned or bugged,” She stated by way of explanation as she placed the now empty dish in the sink to be washed.

“Good idea,” Chuck nodded, “Not a fan of tuna casserole anyhow so it would have gone to waste.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, pressing a soft kiss to Sarah’s lips. “So, Mrs. Danvers, the baby is down for her nap, the house is unpacked, and we are all alone, whatever shall we do?”

“I have a few ideas,” Sarah gave him a sly grin before raising up on her toes and whispering in his ear, “Grab the sweepers.”

“Mrs. Danvers, you dirty minx,” He teased, heading into the closet where they had stowed some of their gear, pulling out two hand-held devices, handing one to Sarah as they began methodically clearing the house. A half hour later, in full knowledge that their home was bug free, they relaxed in the back yard in a porch swing that hung down from the side of the overhang, glasses of iced tea in their hands, sipping and enjoying the cool breeze that was meandering its way through the area. It was peaceful, and Chuck was rather enjoying the quiet moment with Sarah curled up beside him on the padded double seat of the swing.

Their reverie was broken by the doorbell ringing, and then Molly’s cries over the monitor causing both of them to sigh. “I’ll get Molly,” Sarah stated, “Could you get the door, Sweetie?”

“Of course, Babe,” Chuck kissed her head and headed to the door, a little frustrated that whomever it was had woken Molly from her nap early which often translated to a long night for him and Sarah. He watched as she scaled the stairs, not hiding the fact he was appreciating the way her legs and back side looked in the slim cut grey chinos she was wearing, as soon as she disappeared, he continued back to the front door. “Who is it?” He called through the front door.

“Delivery,” Was grunted from the other side, causing Chuck to roll his eyes in recognition of the voice.

“You do realize you woke Molly up,” He stated bluntly to Casey who was wearing the dark green coveralls with yellow embroidered ‘Buy More’ on the breast pocket that was standard for the delivery men.

“I have your grill,” Casey ignored the accusation.

“Okay, fine, bring it around to the side, I’ll open the gate for you.” Chuck rolled his eyes and shut the door.

“Who was that?” Sarah asked, coming down the stairs, a tired Molly in her arms.

“Casey,” Chuck responded flatly, “He is delivering our grill. I have to go open the side gate for them.”

“I think I’ll come with you,” Sarah stated, she had half a mind to tear into the NSA agent, but let it go in favor of relaxing on the swing with Molly in hopes of lulling her back to sleep.

Chuck simply nodded as they headed toward the sliding door that led to the backyard. Sarah settled on the porch swing as Chuck rounded the side of the house to unlatch the gate. Casey and Brody soon followed him, Casey with a dolly upon which the still boxed grill rested, and Brody behind with another box full of accessories for the grill.

“Hey Sarah,” Brody greeted his other boss with a wide smile before noticing the clearly upset little girl in her arms, “Oh no, did we interrupt nap time?”

“Just a little,” Sarah shrugged, “I’m just trying to get her to rest a bit more.”

“I’m sorry, Sarah,” Brody’s smile softened as he laid the box he was carrying on a nearby table and reached out for Molly who went easily into his arms, “And I’m sorry to you too, Miss Molly,” He snuggled the girl to his chest and soon she was out again.

“You and Chuck,” Sarah shook her head bemused, “It’s like you have the magic touch.”

“My sister-in-law calls me the baby whisperer,” Brody smiled softly, rocking from foot to foot as he spoke softly.

“Hey baby whisperer,” Casey called, “How about you give the kid back to her mother and help me get this thing put together.”

“Duty calls,” Brody shrugged, handing the now sleeping Molly back into her mother’s arms before joining Casey in assembling the large grill’s components.

“Since the grill is here, I was thinking, maybe it would be a good idea to have a barbeque once we get settled in,” Chuck sat next to Sarah as they watched Casey and Brody assemble the grill, “You know, a ‘meet the neighbors’ type thing. It may give us a jumping off point from which to start figuring out what happened to agent Yeager.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Sarah nodded, “Oh and speaking of planning upcoming events, your sister is coming over tomorrow to start working on Molly’s birthday party.”

“That’s coming up fast, isn’t it?” Chuck looked down at the little girl sleeping in Sarah’s arms.

“Two weeks,” Sarah nodded, “I promise it won’t be anything too big, friends and family only, I just have never attended let alone planned a child’s birthday party before.”

“Well, my sister is the party planning queen,” Chuck assured her, “Just follow her lead.”

“That’s the plan,” Sarah nodded, leaning her head on Chuck’s shoulder, “You know this seems just about perfect. I mean as a little girl when I thought of how my future would look, it was a lot like this.”

“Me too,” Chuck sighed, “As a little boy, that is. Only thing missing is a dog, but we don’t know how long this mission will last and I’d hate to bring an innocent animal into this only to give it back when we’re done.”

“I agree,” Sarah pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, “I’m going to take her upstairs so she can finish up her nap. Please make sure Casey makes a quiet exit.”

“I heard that,” Casey grunted, “How was I supposed to know it was the kid’s nap time?”

“You could have asked,” Chuck pointed out as he watched Brody attach the hose to the propane tank under the grill while Casey laid out the various tools on the attached prep station. “But now you know she is sleeping; I trust you will be quiet going out.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Casey grunted, rolling his eyes as he broke down the boxes that the grill and its components had come in. “James, on my six.”

“I’ll be right with you, Casey,” Brody responded before approaching Chuck, “Ignore him, he’s still trying to figure out the whole father thing and may be a little jealous at how easy you make it look.” The men shook hands before pulling each other in for a bro-hug, “Give Sarah a kiss on the cheek for me and hug that little girl of yours. I expect to see an invite to her party; I already have her gift picked out.”

“You got a deal,” Chuck promised, walking him to the gate and letting him out, “I’ll see you tomorrow at the office.”

“See ya tomorrow, Boss,” Brody gave him a two-fingered salute and loped down the lawn to the waiting box truck where Casey was waiting. Chuck watched as both men climbed in and took off down the street.


	26. Chapter 26

“Good morning, Mr. Carmichael,” Josie greeted him with a smile as he entered the office Monday morning. “How is fake married life treating you?”

“So far, so good, Josie,” Chuck returned her smile, “But it has only been 48 hours, so I’m not sure I have a fair cross section of experiences to state definitively how it truly is treating me.”

“Oh, Chuck,” Josie rolled her eyes, “Go on in, I’ll be over to your office in a little bit to brief you on what you missed the last couple days just as soon as I can.”

“Alright Josie,” Chuck nodded, “Would you like me to get you anything? I’m pretty sure Sarah stocked up the herbal tea selection before we started the mission.”

“I appreciate the offer, Chuck,” Josie gave him a small smile, “But I’m fine right now.”

“Okay, well let me know,” Chuck insisted.

“Chuck, I’m pregnant, not made of glass,” Josie gently chided him, “Were you like this with Sarah or Ellie?”

“Not exactly,” Chuck gave her a half shrug.

“Let me guess, you were worse, right?” Josie challenged.

“Maybe I might have been a tad overprotective,” He relented, “But isn’t it good to want to protect the ones you love?”

“Are you saying you love me, Mr. Carmichael?” Josie teased.

“I… well…” Chuck floundered for a moment before regaining his ability to speak, “As a friend, yes, I do love you in a completely platonic way like a brother would love his sister.”

“I guess I can live with that,” Josie slowly stood from her seat and made her way around the desk, lifting up on her toes and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, causing him to blush slightly. “I love you too, in a completely platonic sisterly way. Now if you could kindly lead on, I have a briefing to give you.”

“Of course,” Chuck swiped his badge over the sensor with a flourish and waited for the flashing light and tell-tale beeping that preceded the click of the lock disengaging. He opened the door and guided Josie in before leading her to his office and unlocking the door, indicating for her to make herself comfortable on the couch. As soon as his computer was booted up, he walked back around his desk and turned one of the chairs around to face Josie, “Alright, what do you have for me?”

“Last night a high-level NSA facility was breeched, and an important piece of tech was stolen,” Josie started, handing him a picture of a small, clear, rectangular object with a silver disk inside, “Something called the cypher…”

Whatever came after that was lost to Chuck as he flashed on the device. The CIA and NSA were trying to rebuild the intersect and the cypher was the brains of the new machine.

“…General Beckman and Director Graham have made the recovery of the cypher our top priority.” He heard Josie finish, “Do you want me to put together a team to go after the device?”

“I have a few ideas,” Chuck nodded thoughtfully, “What are Casey and Brody up to?”

“Brody has some off-site evaluations to do, but he should be finished by this afternoon and Major Casey is free and clear.” Josie reported.

“Alright, then I think I’ll take the two of them with me since Sarah is back in the ‘burbs right now.” Chuck nodded resolutely, “Anything else I need to be aware of?”

“Nothing more than that, all other projects seem to be on track,” Josie closed her notepad.

“Alright, then I will leave you to your other work,” Chuck gave her a small smile, “Do you need help getting up off of that thing?”

“No,” Josie waved him off, “I got it.” She quickly levered herself up off the couch and headed toward the door, “Let me know if there is anything else you require, Mr. Carmichael.”

“I will, Josie,” Chuck nodded and closed the door behind her as he put the chair, he had been sitting on back the way it was and took a seat in his office chair, logging into the computer. He was just about to open the files pertaining to the break-in when his phone rang, “Carmichael, yeah Josie, it’s fine, send him over.” He waited for the click that indicated the transfer, “Morgan buddy, what can I do for you?”

“Do you have five to forty-five minutes to go over the plan of attack I’ve devised for our next attempt at making an incursion on the Large Mart goons’ compound in Call of Duty?” He heard his friend’s excited voice.

“Make it quick, little buddy,” Chuck barely held in a chuckle at his friend’s exuberance, “I’m kinda busy.” Thirty-four minutes later, he’d heard in intricate detail how Morgan planned to overtake the compound with the assistance of ‘23 infantry troopers, 16 snipers, seven heavy gunners, four demolitions experts, and enough ammunition to orbit Arnold Schwarzenegger.’ Fifty gamers in all to overtake the compound, it was ambitious at best, but after over two decades of friendship and fifteen of teaming up for online raids and events, he knew what a great tactical mind his little buddy had. With a passing thought of eventually bringing Morgan onto the team as a tactical advisor, perhaps mentored by John Casey, Chuck hung up the phone and got back to work.

~~~~~~~~~

It was approaching noon when a silver minivan pulled into the driveway of the Danvers’ home. A tall, brunette woman exited the driver’s side door and walked around to the sliding passenger door, pulling out a fair-haired toddler who she propped on her hip before grabbing a diaper bag and her purse from the front passenger seat. She walked with purpose up to the door of the home and knocked, a moment later, Sarah answered the door, gave the woman a hug and let her into the house.

“You’re right on time,” Sarah smiled, pulling back from the hug she shared with Ellie, “I just finished making lunch. Mac and cheese with hot dogs for the girls and pasta salad with chicken for us.

“Wow, you’re really getting into the whole Martha Steward homemaker thing, aren’t you?” Ellie teased her friend who was taking off the apron she had tied around her neck and waist, “It looks good on you.”

“Thanks Ellie,” Sarah smiled, “Now if only it will extend over to party planning. Molly’s turning one in two weeks and I have no idea where to even start.”

“Well one thing is that you don’t have to go overboard with the plans for the first few years,” Ellie advised, setting Clara in the spare high chair that Sarah had brought out for their visit as she and Sarah quickly served the girls and then took their seats with their own lunches. “Seriously for a one-year party, you just need a sheet cake, maybe a smash cake, and some snacks. If you really want, you can have Chuck and Devon use that new grill of yours to cook up some lunch or dinner.”

“Okay, that sounds doable,” Sarah nodded as she took a bite of chicken and pasta, “But one question, what is a smash cake?”

It took a moment for Ellie to stop laughing before she could get a hold of herself, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh, I think you are the first person I’ve met that didn’t know what a smash cake is. It’s just a small cake, usually about four inches wide, that is given to a child to essentially decimate and play with on their first birthday. They make a mess, and it’s fun to watch. I would recommend doing that out on the back porch if the weather is warm enough.”

“Good idea,” Sarah nodded, laughing at the images in her mind of what her daughter might do to the cake, “Probably should strip her to her diaper, too.”

“It would make it easier to clean her up after,” Ellie agreed, “Now for decorations, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy, a few balloons will do, I’m thinking light colors, purples, pinks, white.”

“That could work,” Sarah agreed, looking around the kitchen imagining how it would look, “I like your idea of having the guys grill out. We could make up some sides and have chips and snacks available to munch on until the burgers and hot dogs are ready.”

“See, planning the party isn’t so hard,” Ellie grinned. The two continued to plan as they ate their lunch. Once the girls were done eating, their mothers got them cleaned up and put down for their afternoon nap while they relaxed downstairs and enjoyed some female bonding time just the two of them and moved on to planning Josie’s shower, which was a little more involved than Molly’s birthday.

“So, Sarah, are you and Chuck going to keep the house once your mission is completed?” Ellie asked, sipping from the glass of iced tea in her hand.

“I don’t know,” Sarah shrugged looking around, “We haven’t really discussed it. Technically, we own it, it’s our names… or at least our cover names on the deed. Growing up, this is what I always imagined a normal home to be like, big back yard, two stories, with enough room for a family. I think it will depend on how the mission goes and how badly our cover is blown in the end. Worse come to worst, we will sell it and set the money aside for when we find our actual dream home.”

“Sarah, I don’t know about you, but looking around, I can tell you that this is pretty dang close to Chuck’s dream home,” Ellie tilted her head to gage Sarah’s reaction, “The only thing missing is…”

“A dog,” They both finished together.

“Yeah, he mentioned that the other day,” Sarah sighed, “But we agreed it would be unfair to get a dog for the mission only to take it back from where it came from, likely the humane society, when we are done with it. If we get a dog it will be for keeps, and I don’t think the apartment would be a good environment for a dog.”

“You’re probably right,” Ellie agreed, “Well maybe someday.”

“Definitely someday,” Sarah nodded, clinking her iced tea glass against her ersatz sister-in-law’s glass.

~~~~~~~~~

“Who are you? Who do you work for?” The large man demanded of his captive whom he was holding by the front of his shirt. His size and demeanor were nothing short of intimidating.

“I’m nobody, honest,” The man practically trembled.

“Don’t make me ask again,” The man let his grip on the smaller man loosen a bit, “Now, who are you?”

“Brody,” The man gasped, “And who, may I ask are you?”

“You can call me Mr. Colt,” The man replied, “Now, what did you do with my cypher?”

“What cypher?” The younger man trembled.

“The one you stole from me!”

“Stole?” Brody feigned ignorance, “Stole is such an interesting choice of words… it’s more like recovered, considering you stole it in the first place.

Mr. Colt practically growled at the man, leaning him further out the window. He was contemplating letting him go, when he heard the door behind him slam open as two tall men, dressed in black BDUs and tactical vests, stormed into the room. The older of the two was clearly military from the buzzed hair cut to the way he carried himself and the SIG-Saur P299 he carried. The younger man was just as tall, but thinner than his counterpart with short, curly, hair, and carried a modified Hi-Cappa 3.8 tranq pistol.

“Put the kid down!” The larger man with the military haircut demanded, aiming his side arm at his target.

“Wait!” The younger, thinner man, called out, his tranq pistol aimed at the captor as well, “Not out the window.”

“Aren’t we picky,” His partner rolled his eyes before addressing the captor once again, “Let the kid go.”

Mr. Colt took one look at the two men and partly pushed, partly threw, his captive toward them. The larger of the two caught the younger man and directed him toward a nearby couch as Mr. Colt escaped out the window while the thinner man ran after him, followed by the larger man.

“Gorram it!” Casey growled, watching Mr. Colt disappear down the alley before rounding on Brody, “Why didn’t you stay in the van?”

“It’s never safe in the van!” Brody protested, “And, may I add, if you want me to be a fully functioning field operative, at some point you need to let me out of the car.”

“Brody,” Chuck shook his head, holstering his weapon, “We all have had to stay in the car for one reason or another. Did you at least get the cypher?”

“Yeah, I got it,” Brody huffed, out of breath, “Of course I got it, c’mon, it’s me.” He pulled out a clear box with a silver disk inside and handed it to Chuck who handed it off to Casey.

“We should get out of here before any of his friends come back,” Chuck advised, and the three men made their exit.

“I’ll contact Beckman and Graham to arranged for transport of the cypher,” Casey reported as they exited the van and headed to the basement of their building where the team had and underground base complete with training dojo, weapons cache, wardrobe, and locker rooms. The men quickly changed out of their mission gear and headed to their respective residences.

~~~~~~~~~

“Honey, I’m home,” Chuck sang as he let himself into their Meadow Branch home and tossed his keys in the bowl by the door.

“Hey, Sweetie,” Sarah smiled up at him as she sliced some tomatoes and dumped them into a bowl already filled with salad, “I just put Molly to bed, why don’t you go up and give her a kiss while I finish up dinner?”

“Alright,” Chuck nodded, “But first,” He walked around the island and pulled her into his arms, giving her a warm kiss. “I missed you.”

“Missed you too,” Sarah smiled against his lips. “Ellie came by for a bit today, and we took the girls to the park, so at least my day wasn’t completely boring.”

“You know you loved it,” He teased, pecking her on the lips once more.

“I kinda did,” She gave him a half shrug and turned back to the oven to check on the lasagna she had cooking.

“I’m going to go up, kiss Molly goodnight and change,” Chuck started toward the stairs, “Then we can trade war stories.”

“Sounds good,” Sarah nodded and pretended to go back to what she was doing.

“And no staring at my ass,” Chuck called over his shoulder.

“Too late,” She grinned, popping a tomato in her mouth and carrying the bowl of salad to the table along with a bottle of red wine. She could hear Chuck’s chuckle as he ascended the stairs.

Chuck slowly opened the door to his daughter’s room and peeked in, she looked like an angel laying in the crib, peaceful. He felt his heart warm at the sight as he ran his hand over her blond curls, “Sweet dreams, Sweet Pea,” He whispered and leaned down to press a soft kiss to her forehead before quietly backing out of the room and heading down the hall to his own room to change.

Minutes later, he bounded down the stairs in jeans and a polo shirt. “Alright, the baby has been kissed and is sleeping like a… well baby,” Chuck grinned as he walked up to Sarah, pulling her to him by her hips, “Now for my lady.” He gave her the patented Bartowski eyebrow dance and dipped his head for a lingering kiss that had them both wanting more by the time they parted. “Hi.”

“Hey,” Sarah smiled up at him, “Dinner?” She pointed to the kitchen table which was set for two with the bowl of salad and the lasagna waiting along with two glasses of wine, the bottle also sat on the table.

Chuck pulled out her seat for her before claiming his own. They talked about their days, both pleasantly surprised at how nice ‘normal’ felt to them. Chuck smiled and laughed as Sarah told of Molly and Clara’s antics during their post-nap walk to the park with their moms. Sarah looked concerned as Chuck told her about Brody being dangled out the window of a warehouse in the industrial district, but relieved once he assured her that Brody had been saved and was safe at home now. Before their discussion could continue, Chuck’s phone went off.

“Chuck,” Sarah gave him a disappointed look.

“I know, I’m sorry,” He gave her a weak smile, “Phones at dinner are bad, but this could be important.” When Sarah nodded for him to go ahead, he hit the answer button, “Carmichael.”

Sarah watched as his face contorted from concern to worry to surprise as he spoke to whomever was on the phone with him. A few moments later, he hung up his phone and sighed. “Conference call with headquarters.”

“Now?” Sarah raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, now,” Chuck gave her a small smile, “I’m sorry, I know you were hoping we would have a quiet night in.”

Sarah stood and wrapped her arms around his waist, “Sometimes I just wish we could be a normal couple, a normal family.”

“Yeah, Chuck kissed the top of her head, “But how boring would that be?”

“I don’t know, I think we could find a way to entertain ourselves,” She gave him a flirty look.

“I like the way you think, Mrs. Danvers,” Chuck softly growled as he pressed a warm kiss to her lips, “Perhaps we should see what Beckman and Graham want first, then move on to, shall we say more enjoyable ventures?”

“You are so on,” She hummed, grabbing his hand and leading him into the living room where their Orion ComTV was located.

Chuck picked up the remote and hit the code to access the conference feed. Moments later the display was split into two screens, on the left was Graham and Beckman, on the right was Casey. It was clear the directors were clearly less than pleased to have to take part in a conference call at nearly 10pm their time. Casey on the other hand looked like a drowned rat, an angry drowned rat, and had traces of a white substance still on his left cheek.

“So glad you could join us Agents Carmichael and Walker,” The general spoke flatly.

“What was so important that we had to interrupt what smells to be a delicious dinner that Sarah made?” Chuck demanded; eyebrow arched.

“There was an attempt made to abduct Hybrid Agent James about an hour ago,” Graham reported, pulling up a video of Brody sitting in a Chinese restaurant eating Lo Mein when Mr. Colt entered and sat in front of him. Moments later, Brody glanced down at his watch then dove out of the way as a Crown Victoria crashed into the restaurant. Casey was seen saying something as Brody dove into the passenger side of the car before Casey got back in and backed out, driving off down the street. “As you can see, Major Casey was able to stop the abduction attempt.”

“I guess that was a good enough reason to interrupt us,” Chuck admitted only to be met with unamused looks from the directors and Casey. “Well, it’s good that Brody is now safe, and we still have the cypher.”

Casey looked embarrassed, “Yeah, about that...”

“The WorldSend Currier we sent him was a double Agent, attacked Major Casey and stole the cypher.” Beckman rolled her eyes as if indicating that Casey should have known better.

“He had the passcode,” Casey defended himself.

“It is our belief that the people who attempted to abduct Agent James are the same people who now have the cypher,” Beckman continued.

“Put that together, did they?” Chuck said under his breath, causing Sarah to snicker.

“Something you would like to share with the class, Agent Carmichael?” Beckman gave him a challenging look.

“No, ma’am,” Chuck shook his head, “I was just telling Sarah something funny that her daughter did the other day.”

“And you thought this was an appropriate time to bring it up?” Beckman raised an eyebrow.

“No ma’am, please continue.” Chuck gave her a chastised smile while Sarah fought the grin that was threatening to spread across her face.

Beckman rolled her eyes, “Agent Carmichael and Major Casey, you are to mount a recovery effort tomorrow. The cypher must be recovered by any means necessary, with or without acceptable losses.”

He then nodded and turned his eyes to the side of the screen inhabited by Casey, “Major, as our resident tactical expert, how do you suggest we proceed?”

“I say we regroup in the morning and figure out where they might be holed up,” Casey advised.

“I will see you in the morning, then,” Chuck nodded, “Now if there is nothing else, our dinner is getting cold.” He didn’t wait for the directors to respond before he cut the feed. “Now, where were we?” He turned toward Sarah and pulled her into his arms, brushing a lock of her hair over her ear, tracing her jaw with his hand, lifting her chin and dipping his lips to meet hers.

“So, were you just trying to get rid of them or are you really hungry?” She murmured.

“Famished,” He growled, bending down and lifting her up, causing her to squeal as she wrapped her legs around his waist, “And not just for your cookin’” He started toward the stairs.

“Chuck,” She laughed, “What about dinner?”

“We’ll put it away later,” Chuck grinned, pressing a kiss to the juncture of her neck and left shoulder, “I’m craving something a little sweeter to eat.”

“Oh really?” Sarah teased as they reached the landing, “What is that?”

“I think you know my favorite treat,” He gave her a meaningful look, causing her to purr in his arms as he closed the door behind them.


	27. Chapter 27

The early morning sun was just cresting over the mountains in the distance as Mr. Colt and his team returned to the warehouse where they’d been confronted the night before, looking for any clues as to who the men from the night before were. Just as he was crossing the parking lot, he saw a set of skid marks on the pavement, clearly this was where their vehicle had sped out upon departure, not more than five feet away he found a business card, one side was a blue background that looked like a circuit board with a black rectangular overlay that read Carmichael CyberSecurity, the other side simply stated ‘Charles Carmichael – CCSS Chief Cyber-Security Specialist’ along with an address and contact number.

“Got ya,” The large man grinned as he picked up his phone to dial the number on the card. The young woman who had answered the phone assured him that Mr. Carmichael would be dispatched personally that afternoon. Satisfied that a plan was being put into motion, he set about directing his team in their assignments for the day. He had the cypher, an apparently valuable item if the two warring factions within the government was any indication. He wasn’t sure what it did, didn’t much care, just so long as his finder’s fee was at least six figures, not that his team knew the true amount this would garner them, or rather him.

~~~~~~~~~

Chuck was having a good day, he’d woken up with the most beautiful woman in the world in his arms, they’d woken up early enough to enjoy some one-on-one time before Molly woke up and they’d had to start their day. Sarah had gotten Molly dressed for the day while he took a quick shower. Once he was dressed, he took Molly downstairs and started breakfast while Sarah made herself beautiful, not that he thought she needed to do much more than just exist to be beautiful, but that was an argument he knew he’d never win.

Molly was happily munching on some cheerios while Chuck dished up the pancakes he’d whipped up before carrying both plates along with two coffee mugs to the table. He’d just gone back to the counter to retrieve the syrup when Sarah made her appearances, looking radiant in a pair of dark jeans, a lavender chemise, and grey cardigan sweater. “Good morning,” Chuck beamed as he bent down to press a soft kiss to her lips, “Breakfast is on the table.”

Sarah nodded and took her seat, pausing momentarily to press a kiss to Molly’s head and listen to the babble-talk of the little girl, commenting here and there as if having a full conversation with her daughter. Chuck put down the bottle of syrup and a small plate of butter before taking his own seat. The breakfast was delicious, Sarah made a mental note to thank Ellie for teaching him his breakfast skills. Soon, both plates were nearly empty.

She took one more bite of breakfast and stood to fill a travel mug with coffee, doctored just the way Chuck liked it and, scooping Molly out of her highchair, followed Chuck to the front door to say their goodbyes.

“Here take this, and this,” She stated, handing first the travel mug then the baby over to him before making quick work of straightening his tie, “Much better,” She smiled, raising up on her toes and pressing a kiss to his lips. Chuck kissed Molly’s cheek and handed her back to her mother, giving them both a loving smile.

“I’ll see you tonight; love you,” He gave his girls one last kiss before heading out to the Prius and taking off for work.

Sarah waived as Molly blew kisses at the departing car. Once it was out of site, Sarah shifted the little girl onto her other hip and headed into the house, “Alright little girl, what do you think we should do?”

~~~~~~~~~

“Good morning, Mr. Carmichael,” Josie greeted him with a smile. “Go on into your office, I’ll be there in a minute.”

Chuck returned her smile and nodded, swiping his access badge against the sensor and hearing the feint click indicating the lock had temporarily disengaged allowing him access to the office beyond. He ducked into the break room, prepared a cup of the herbal tea that he knew her fiancé had her drinking since she was supposed to stay away from coffee for a while. By the time he’d gotten to his office and set down the tea on the coffee table, he heard a soft knock on the door. Shrugging off his suit jacket, he called for Josie to enter. He waited while she made her way over to the couch and gently lowered herself to the cushions before taking his own seat

“Alright, lay it on me, anything I need to know?” Chuck took a sip of his coffee.

“Not much, but we do have a new client, Stallion’s Gate Recovery,” Josie advised, consulting her notes as she took a sip of her tea, “The gentleman I spoke with specifically requested you for their on-site consultation. I told him you would be by this afternoon, I already sent you the address.”

“Thank you,” Chuck nodded, “Anything else I need to be aware of? Any special requests for Stallion’s Gate?”

“No, aside from the new client, it’s pretty much business as usual,” Josie shrugged, “How is Sarah doing?”

“Trying to stave off boredom as much as she can,” He chuckled, “She had Ellie over yesterday for most of the day planning Molly’s birthday party tomorrow. Are you and Kevin still able to come?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Josie assured him, standing up and indicating she should get back to her desk. Chuck nodded his permission for her to leave before going to his own desk and starting on the dailies.

~~~~~~~~~

Chuck huffed a sigh as he took the last step up to the floor where the office suite he’d been requested to was located. Taking a deep breath and rolling his shoulders, he knocked on the large door in front of him. He pasted a smile on his face as the door began to swing open, “Good afternoon, Charles Car…” He dropped off as he recognized the large man on the other side of the door, “Carmichael, Carmichael CyberSecurity. You requested a consultation?”

Mr. Colt gave him a large grin and grabbed him from the front of his shirt pulling him forcefully into the office which was still bare bones. Metallic framework and portable work benches and tables were scattered throughout the space. Along with Mr. Colt, there was at least six other men in the room, all with large semi-automatic weapons. “So glad you could join us, Mr. Carmichael, although I must say, I was expecting the other guy, the skinny one.”

“Sorry, he was indisposed. What sort of protection are you looking for?” Chuck asked looking around and trying to stay calm.

“I don’t need any protection,” Colt smirked, pulling is arm across his body in a stretch before doing the same with the other arm as he spoke, “You on the other hand…”

“Sorry,” Chuck stopped him, “What are you doing?”

“Stretching,” Colt stated plainly, rolling his neck, “Getting limber, so I don’t pull a muscle when I beat you for all the trouble you and your team have caused me. You see you’ve walked into a trap.”

“Is that right?” Chuck asked, stepping towards the large window and looked out into the alley way, he discretely pressed the panic button on his watch. Hopefully, it wouldn’t take Casey too long to scramble the troops. He took a calming breath and stood straighter before turning and confronting the larger man with a confident grin on his face, “You see, that’s where you are wrong. My name is Special Agent Charles Carmichael of the CIA and this is _my_ trap. As we speak your little hideout here is being surrounded by 23 infantry troopers, 16 snipers, seven heavy gunners, four demolitions experts, and enough ammunition to orbit Arnold Schwarzenegger. I would highly suggest you just give up now, hand over the cypher, and let me go on my way.”

One of the henchmen looked out and saw the empty alleyway, “He’s gotta be lying boss, there’s no one out there.”

“Of course, you can’t see anyone,” Chuck scoffed, “Who do you think we are, the FBI?”

“I don’t believe you.” Colt tilted his head in challenge.

“Don’t believe me?” Chuck smirked and held up a finger. Pulling out his phone, he pressed the speed dial button on his phone and put it on speaker.

“Hey Chuck, what’s up, my man?” Morgan’s enthusiastic voice rang out over the speaker.

“Hey Morgan, do me a favor,” Chuck replied, a small smile on his lips, “Tell me the specs of the team surrounding the compound.”

“The whole shebang?” Morgan questioned.

“The whole kit and kaboodle,” Chuck confirmed.

“Yes, sir, we have 23 infantry troopers, 16 snipers, seven heavy gunners, four demolitions experts, and enough ammunition to orbit Arnold Schwarzenegger. One of the snipers got a little antsy and took out one of the sentries, but don’t worry man it was a clean headshot and he didn’t have time to warn the others.”

“They must have gotten Fritz,” One of the henchmen commented quietly.

“Don’t be an idiot, Fritz went to the can,” Another retorted. All the men shared a look before rushing to the window trying to spot where Chuck’s team might be hiding.

Seeing his opportunity, Chuck grabbed the cypher, which had been sitting in a box on one of the work benches and made a break for it. He’d nearly made it, but he’d tripped over a few supplies which had slowed him down some. It didn’t help that Colt took a shortcut to head him up.

Next thing he knew, he was being hung by his ankles from the roof of the office building. “Okay, okay, I can see I went about this the wrong way, maybe we can compromise.”

“Fine, hand over the cypher and I’ll let you go,” Colt suggested.

“Let me go as in bring be back up to the roof so I can exit by the stairs or elevator,” Chuck asked nervously, feeling the blood rush to his head, “Or let me go head-first from the position I’m currently in?”

“The second one,” Colt, jerking his arms slightly to give the sensation, he would do just that.

“You see, we gotta work on your negotiation skills,” Chuck countered as he saw a glimpse of black in his periphery. Someone in tactical gear was climbing the fire escape.

“Are you going to hand over the cypher?” Colt demanded.

“Why would I do that?” Chuck challenged.

“Because I assume you consider me imposing, having you in this precarious position,” Colt countered, “Go ahead, admit it, I’m going for imposing.”

“No, I don’t think that I will,” Chuck responded stubbornly.

“Fine, have it your way,” Colt shrugged and let go of Chuck’s legs.

Chuck thought he heard a voice scream, “No!” As he was released but didn’t have time to pay it any mind as he plummeted two stories before he felt his forearm grabbed, flipping his body back feet first. He heard a pop and felt a searing pain in his left shoulder as he was swung onto the next level’s fire platform.

“Casey!” Chuck cried out thankfully as he clutched his injured left arm to his side.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Casey rolled his eyes, “The rest of the tactical team is gearing up on the first level.”

Chuck nodded his understanding and made his way down the fire escape to the ground to rendezvous with the rest of the tactical team while Casey made his way up to the roof. Chuck wasn’t sure what all had happened up on the roof while he was meeting with the tactical team and giving them instructions. One of the medics insisted on looking at his arm before they continued up to join the fight. It was quickly diagnosed that when Casey had grabbed his arm and swung him onto the fire escape, the jolt to his shoulder from his body flipping over dislocated his shoulder. The medic quickly injected the joint with a numbing agent and reset the joint before pulling a sling from his pack and guiding Chuck’s injured arm into it, tying it to his body to immobilize it.

“Good to go?” Chuck confirmed. When the medic nodded, he turned to the rest of the tactical team, “Alright ladies and gentlemen, let’s go be big damn heroes!”

“Ain’t we just!” One of the tac team members shouted out, causing the rest to chuckle as they made their way to the stairwell and up to the roof.

Chuck burst through the roof access door followed closely by his tactical team as he heard Colt threatening Casey and Brody, both of whom were sporting a few new scrapes and bruises, with his team. “Um, excuse me,” Chuck called as he stepped out onto the roof, holding up his good hand. “I think it’s about time you met the rest of my team. I assume you find them imposing, go ahead be honest, we were going for imposing.”

Colt quirked an appreciative eyebrow at the young agent and nodded.

“Now here’s what is going to happen,” Chuck continued, “You are all going to lay your guns down,” When none of the henchmen moved, Chuck’s eyes grew hard, “I said _put them down_!” He repeated in a more commanding voice, causing the henchmen to jump slightly before doing as they were told, “Very good, now put your hands up, indicating that you are not holding any weapons.”

Casey immediately approached Colt and began to handcuff him. “Your boss, Carmichael,” Colt spoke to him in a soto voice, “He’s good.”

“He has his moments,” Casey grunted and nudged Colt toward the roof access door, pausing only a moment as he passed Chuck, “Did you get it?”

“Of course, I got it,” Chuck grinned proudly, fishing the cypher out of his back pocket with his right hand, “C’mon, it’s me.”

Casey rolled his eyes and snatched the cypher from Chuck’s hands as he continued on his way to where the prisoner transport vehicle was waiting for the men they’d just arrested.

Brody jogged up to Chuck, watching as the rest of the tactical squad led the henchmen off the roof. “Wow, Chuck,” He shook his head in disbelief, “You are amazing!”

“Yeah, well,” Chuck shrugged humbly, “C’mon, let’s go before Casey leaves us here.”

“Good idea,” Brody nodded, patting Chuck on his good shoulder and following him down the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~

Chuck, Casey and Brody debriefed General Beckman and Director Graham on the events of the past two days and confirmed that they were sending an escort along with the cypher to D.C. so that it didn’t fall into the wrong hands again. The flight had departed on a military transport from LAX an hour prior and would be arriving in Washington within the next four hours. Once that was completed, they were dismissed for the day.

“Walker is gonna kill you,” Casey grunted to Chuck, “You know that, right? For going off and getting injured.”

“Oh, I’m well aware,” Chuck took a deep breath and shook his head, “But you know, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Ugh, keep your lady feelings to yourself.” Casey grunted, heading toward the door, “Glad you didn’t get dead, though.”

“It’s okay, Casey,” Chuck called after him, “You can admit it, you know you love me.”

Chuck and Brody laughed at the disgusted look Casey shot Chuck as he exited the conference room, trying to slam the door behind him, only to be foiled in his attempt to storm off by the hydraulics on the door frame.

“You’re a brave man, provoking him,” Brody rolled his eyes at Chuck, “One of these days, he’s really gonna kill you for doing that.”

“Nah,” Chuck shook his head, “He knows if he did, he’d have Sarah to deal with, and Ellie, if you think they go all Mama Bear over their cubs, just wait until I’m in the crosshairs.”

“I don’t know if I should be scared or impressed,” Brody shook his head as the men headed out of the office, pausing just long enough for Chuck to grab his suit jacket and briefcase.

“A little of both, Brode-ster,” Chuck clapped the younger man on the back, “A little of both.”

~~~~~~~~~

Sarah had been pacing the floor off and on for the past several hours since Chuck’s emergency signal was activated. It didn’t matter that it was deactivated within 20 minutes when Casey, Brody, and the rest of the tactical team arrived on site. She hadn’t heard anything other than the cypher had been recovered and the mission only resulted in a few injuries, no fatalities.

“Where is he, Elle?” Sarah looked at her boyfriend’s sister, who sat in her living room, playing with Clara and Molly as she watched Sarah pace like a caged tiger waiting to pounce.

“Sarah, I’m scared too,” Ellie spoke in a soothing voice, but there was a slight tremor that showed she was just as worried as the younger woman was, “His GPS has him heading back this way, he should be home any minute.”

“You’re right,” Sarah sighed, taking a seat on the couch next to Ellie and lifting Molly into her lap for a cuddle, “I mean the report said there were no casualties…” Whatever else she was going to say was cut off by the sound of a key in the lock of the front door.

Sarah handed Molly back over to Ellie as the front door swung open, revealing Chuck, his arm in a sling. “Chuck!” She cried out, flying over to him, wrapping her arms around him, “Oh my God, I was so worried!”

“Oof” Chuck grunted at the impact and hissed, “Sarah, Baby, please, you’re hurting me.”

Sarah released her grip on him slightly, but continued to cling to him, “How could you?” She demanded, “How could you go and do that?”

“Sarah,” Chuck sighed, wrapping his good arm around her and kissing her head, “I didn’t realize I was walking into an ambush. Luckily, Casey had the tactical team on standby and was able to scramble them as soon as I set off my beacon. We got the cypher back, we arrested the bad guys, no one died, everything is fine.”

“No, it’s not,” She pouted, looking him over, “What happened to your arm?”

“Dislocated my shoulder falling off the roof,” Chuck shrugged with his good arm. “Well more accurately I was dropped off the roof, but Casey was there to catch me…”

“You did _WHAT_?” Came the dual cries of both Sarah and Ellie, causing Chuck to wince.

“Yeah,” Chuck blushed, “I may have smarted off to the bad guy a bit and he dropped me off the roof. Casey was a couple floors down on the fire escape and was able to catch me. The sudden change in direction popped my shoulder out of joint, one of the medics set it, I’m fine, promise.”

“I think I’ll be the judge of that,” Ellie raised an eyebrow at him as she stood and pointed to a chair by the window, “Sit.”

“Ellie, honestly, I’m fine,” Chuck protested, but when his sister gave him her patented _don’t mess with me Charles Irving Bartowski_ look, he sighed and did as he was told.

Ellie made quick work of removing the sling and his shirt to better see the injury. She poked and prodded, lecturing Chuck under her breath as she did so, especially when she found an especially tender spot around the injury. Once she was satisfied that the medic had, in fact, reset his shoulder correctly, she stepped back and told him to get dressed again. “I’m going to write you a prescription for some pain killers, take them if you feel any pain. Don’t pull any of that macho bull and try to tough it out, little brother. You will have to keep it immobilized for a few weeks, and no lifting Molly with that arm until I give you the go ahead.”

Chuck rolled his eyes, “Fine, Elle. Anything else.”

“So help me, God,” Ellie huffed, “You go and get yourself hurt like this again, I swear I’m going to dislocate your other arm.”

“That goes double for me,” Sarah piped in.

“Would it help if I said that I’m sorry I worried you two?” Chuck gave them a weak smile as Ellie helped him get his arm back in the sling and secure it over his t-shirt.

“You may have to do better than that little brother,” Ellie advised, “Did you know you literally worried your girlfriend sick?”

Chuck’s eyes shot over to Sarah who gave him a small shrug, “Just a little nausea. I’m pretty sure it was more that the pizza we had the other night turned on us.”

“Are you sure?” He checked, standing and taking her hand in his, “I mean I feel fine.”

“Yes, I’m sure, I’ll be fine come morning,” She assured him, “Promise.”

“Well, my work here is done,” Ellie announced, scooping Clara up, “We should probably get home so I can put her to bed. Devon will be home from the hospital soon any way. I’ll see you two tomorrow; eleven, right?”

“Yeah,” Sarah confirmed, hugging her friend. “Thank you for keeping me relatively sane… ish”

“Anything for family,” Ellie smiled, “Love you both.” She then turned to her brother and gave him a hug, pausing so that they could kiss Clara on the cheek before heading out to the street where her van was parked and driving off.

“I’ll go put her to bed,” Sarah nodded toward Molly who was yawning and rubbing her eyes, “She’s got a big day tomorrow.”

“Alright,” Chuck nodded, “I’m just going to go ice my shoulder.”

Sarah nodded and crossed the room to scoop up Molly. She walked back to Chuck who kissed the little girl and told her that he loved her before watching two of the most important people in his life ascend the stairs to the nursery. When she’d returned a half hour later, Chuck was sitting out on the back patio, a bag of half-frozen peas on his shoulder, drinking a beer.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to drink when on those pain meds,” She advised, taking a seat next to him.

“Haven’t taken anything other than some max strength ibuprofen on site,” Chuck shrugged his good shoulder, “I’ll fill the prescription tomorrow morning.”

“Stubborn,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “Finish your beer, I’ll run to the pharmacy and fill your prescription so you can take some before bed. Trust me on this.”

“Alright,” Chuck nodded, finishing off his beer, “You know, I really am sorry. I didn’t intend to go in and come out injured. I honestly thought I was going on a consultation until Colt opened the door.”

“I know, Hunny,” Sarah rested her head on his arm, “But I wasn’t there to back you up. That’s what really scared me, you were hurt and there was nothing I could have done about it.”

“You were where you were supposed to be,” Chuck assured her, “Spying on the neighbors and watching our daughter, the latter of which is the more important of the two missions. Casey had my back, grunted about it every step of the way in true John Casey fashion, but he was there to catch me when I fell… literally.”

Chuck smiled warmly down at his girlfriend and cover wife who was snickering, “Just don’t scare me like that again, Chuck,” Sarah looked up him, “I’m serious, if you get yourself dead on a mission, so help me, God, I will bring you back to life and kill you again. You got me?”

“Yes Ma’am,” Chuck nodded solemnly, “Now could you go get my pain meds? I think the ibuprofen from earlier is starting to wear off.”

“Alright,” Sarah nodded, standing from the seat and stretching. She bent down to kiss him softly, “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll miss you,” Chuck hummed against her lips, “Love you.”

“I love you too,” She nodded, heading into the house, grabbing her keys and purse and driving off in the RAV4 toward the 24hour CVS that was located in a nearby shopping center.


	28. Chapter 28

“Good morning, sleepy head,” Chuck first registered the soft voice of his girlfriend followed closely by a throbbing pain in his left shoulder and an ache across his chest, which caused him to groan as he levered himself up, trying not to put pressure on his bad shoulder.

“I feel like I was hit by a truck,” He complained.

“I hear falling off a roof can have the same effect; here, take these,” Sarah smiled gently at him and handed him some pills, which he popped into his mouth, and a glass of water to swallow them with.

“You say that as if I had a choice,” Chuck sighed.

“You could have not smarted off to the bad guy,” Sarah arched an eyebrow, “Now do you need help getting dressed, or do you think you can manage on your own?”

“Hmmm,” Chuck gave her a playful look, “Have my smoking-hot undercover wife strip me down or try to do it on my own with a gimped arm... decisions, decisions.”

“So, you got this?” Sarah grinned at him.

“Yeah, yeah,” Chuck sighed, “It may take me a little longer than usual to do, but I think I can handle it. Might need help with the sling, though.”

“Just bring it down once you’re dressed and I’ll help you with it. I would suggest a button down; might be easier to get your arm into,” Sarah suggested.

“Good idea,” Chuck nodded, “You go deal with the birthday girl.”

“Alright,” Sarah leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, “Try not to overdo it, and if you need help, please don’t try to tough it out and just call me.”

“Okay,” Chuck huffed good naturedly.

“I’ll see you downstairs,” Sarah gave him another smile and headed out of the bedroom toward the nursery to get Molly changed and dressed for the day.

Roughly 45 minutes later, Chuck entered the kitchen, shirt hanging open over his chest and jeans unbuttoned, giving Sarah a glimpse of his white and blue striped boxers. He had the strap of his sling around his neck and his right hand held his pants up as he walked in. “I may have overestimated my ability to deal with button closures,” He chuckled self-depreciatively before giving her puppy dog eyes and pouting slightly, “Help?”

Sarah snickered and rolled her eyes as she rounded the island, where she had been standing slicing fruit for their breakfast. “Okay, Babe,” She fastened the button of his jeans and gave him a coy smile as she slowly raised the zipper closure, her smile widened to a grin when she heard a sharp intake of breath.

“This doesn’t seem fair,” Chuck whispered to her.

“I know,” Sarah shook her head, “I much prefer this process in reverse, but we have things to do today.” She quickly fastened the buttons of his olive green, button down, shirt, running her hands down his chest to smooth it over his torso before rolling the long sleeves up to just below his elbow. “Okay, now for the sling.”

Chuck ducked down slightly so she could remove the sling from around his neck. As gently as she could, she guided his injured arm into the fabric of the sling and secured the strap back around his neck, adjusting it to hang correctly. She stepped back to give him a once over, he looked nearly put together but was standing in his socks. “Where are your shoes?” She inquired.

“I couldn’t get them on.” Chuck shrugged his good shoulder, “With my arm I couldn’t get the right angle to pull them on.”

“Alright, I’ll go get them,” Sarah smiled at him reassuringly, “Go take a seat at the table and I’ll be right back,” She dashed up the stairs only to return a few minutes later with a casual pair of medium brown lace up shoes. She helped him with getting them on and tied them before standing once again and heading back into the kitchen to wash her hands and finish making their breakfast of scrambled eggs, fruit, and toast.

“What’s on the agenda?” Chuck asked, standing and pulling a coffee mug from the cabinet above the coffee maker and pouring himself a cup from the full carafe.

“Your sister should be here around 10 to help start setting up, guests should start arriving around 11:30 or so.” Sarah recited taking the plates of food into the dining room, setting plates at their spots and a small bowl on Molly’s highchair tray, “I think we should let Awesome handle the grilling with your arm out of commission.”

“Probably a good idea,” Chuck agreed as he followed her and took a seat at the table, “Is there anything I can do?”

“Yeah,” Sarah nodded, “Once you’re done eating, I need you to go to the party store and pick up the balloon order. You’ll need to tie a few to our mailbox.”

“I think I can handle that,” Chuck nodded, taking a bite of his eggs, “Oh, ketchup!” He stood and crossed to the fridge, not noticing how Sarah blanched at the thought of adding the condiment to his eggs.

As she watched him eat, Sarah nibbled on toast and fruit hoping her stomach would settle from the nauseous feeling that came over her from seeing Chuck eat his ketchup-covered eggs. Thankfully, he quickly finished his breakfast and stood, pressing a kiss to her cheek and Molly’s before grabbing his wallet and keys and heading out the door.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do about your Daddy, Baby Girl,” Sarah sighed, “I really hope you don’t pick up on his preference of ketchup on eggs.”

“Mama uck?” Molly gave her mother a sad look.

“Yuck is right,” Sarah agreed, standing up and taking her plate and Chuck’s into the kitchen to rinse and load in the dishwasher. Once Molly was done eating, Sarah made quick work of washing her up and set her on the floor of the living room to play while she cleaned up the rest of the breakfast dishes.

~~~~~~~~

Chuck returned to the house about an hour later, balloons filling the passenger compartment of the Prius. He had found during the trip that getting in and out of the car with his left arm in a sling was challenging at best. Reaching across his body, he unlatched the driver-side door and stepped out of the vehicle. He opened the passenger door behind the driver’s seat and retrieved a bundle of three pink, purple, and white balloons on ribbons that he’d asked the girl behind the balloon counter to tie in a slip knot for him. He slipped the loops of the knots around his left wrist and walked over to the mailbox. As he stood puzzling over the best way of attaching the balloons to the box, one of his neighbors approached.

The man was about a half a foot shorter than him and portly with a round face and short, light brown hair. “Throwing a party, neighbor?” He asked, “Don’t mean to be nosy, the wife and I just noticed you moved in a couple weeks ago and hadn’t had a chance to meet you yet.”

Chuck turned and gave him a friendly smile, “Yeah, it’s our daughter’s birthday. My wife sent me to get balloons, Although I’m fairly sure it was just to get me out of the house so that she and my sister could start setting up.”

“She sent you out with a broken wing like that?” The man asked, “What did you do to it anyway?”

“I fell and dislocated my shoulder at work,” Chuck shrugged his good shoulder as he decided that looping the ribbons around the flag would do to secure the balloons since there was no postal service that day. “It’s more of a nuisance than anything.”

“I hope you got workmen’s comp for it,” The man chuckled, “Oh, how rude of me, I forgot to introduce myself. Name’s Brad, Brad White, I live a couple doors around the cul-de-sac. I’m in the insurance game.”

“Nice to meet you,” Chuck shook Brad’s offered hand, “Charles Danvers, but my friends just call me Charlie. I guess you could say I’m a computer guy; mostly software, system security, virus protection, that kind of thing.”

“Impressive,” Brad gave him a smile, “Welcome to the neighborhood, Charlie.”

“We’re glad to be here,” Chuck nodded, “Hey, listen, we were thinking of having a little get together in a week or so once I’m able to be out of this torture device and actually use my grill out back. We would love to have you and your wife, and maybe a few of the other neighbors, over.”

“That would be great,” Brad grinned, “Let us know the time and date and if we can bring anything.”

“Will do,” Chuck stuck out his hand once more, “It was nice to meet you Brad.”

“You too, Charlie,” Brad shook his hand, “Enjoy your little girl while she’s still little, I hear they grow up fast.”

“Don’t remind me,” Chuck gave him a half-smile, “I still remember the day she came into my life, she was so small, now she’s crawling everywhere and pulling herself up on everything. Wouldn’t be surprised if she started walking soon.”

“And then running,” Brad added.

“Playing soccer, softball, joining karate or any number of dangerous things that will take 10 years off my life,” He chuckled, “Don’t get me started on when she starts dating. I already made plans with a buddy of mine to sit with me and clean his considerable gun collection when boys start to come over.”

“You have my sympathy,” Brad placed a hand on Chuck’s shoulder and shook his head, “Wife and I don’t have kids, not for lack of trying, but I always wanted boys. Somehow I think boys would be simpler.”

“I could do with a bit of simple in my life,” Chuck smirked, “But I wouldn’t give up my girls for anything.”

“They got your wrapped around their little fingers, don’t they?” Brad gave him a knowing look.

“Without a doubt, but I’m not complaining,” Chuck smiled, “I would do anything for them.”

“Charlie!” The men turned to see a brunette standing on the front step, hand on her hip, “You going to come inside and help set up for your daughter’s party or are you going to just stand out there and talk all day?”

“Wife?” Brad looked back at Chuck.

“Sister,” Chuck corrected before turning back toward the house, “I’ll be there in a minute, Elle.”

“Well hurry up,” Ellie rolled her eyes and shook her head, “You have all the balloons and Devon can’t find your grilling utensils.”

“They’re in the gara… never mind, I’ll show him as soon as I get in,” Chuck called back before turning to Brad, “Duty calls, see you around?”

“Yeah, see you around,” Brad clapped him on the shoulder before turning back toward his house. Chuck watched him go, noting which house the man went into before turning back to the Prius and grabbing the ribbons of the remaining balloons and hauling them out of the car. The house was a hive of activity. He’d noticed Devon and Ellie’s van out front along with Kevin and Josie’s SUV. Sarah, Ellie, and Josie were all in the kitchen preparing sides and snacks for the party, when he entered, Sarah rounded the island and gave him a kiss before taking the balloons from him.

“Took you long enough,” She teased. Chuck gave her an indignant look and point to his injured shoulder, which caused her to roll her eyes, “Oh please, a dislocated shoulder doesn’t cause your feet to move slower.”

“True, but it does make things a little more difficult to manually manipulate like car doors and balloon strings,” Chuck protested.

Sarah simply handed the bundle of balloons to Josie with instructions to place them throughout the first floor before turning back to Chuck, “The boys are out back, but they can’t find the grilling utensils.”

“They’re in the garage, I’ll go get them and see if there is anything, they need out there,” Chuck supplied, “Unless there’s something else you need from me.”

“I need a great many things from you,” She gave him a coy smirk, “But most of them would not be polite in mixed company.”

“Behave yourself Sarah Danvers,” Chuck growled under his breath.

“Make me,” She gave him a flirty smile and turned on her heel to return to the kitchen.

Chuck rolled his eyes and walked over to the door that led to the garage. He quickly found the utensils in a box on the shelves that had been built along one side of the garage for storage. He stopped temporarily in the kitchen to wash them before heading out to the back porch, which was only slightly less estrogen soaked as the girls were playing on a blanket in the grass not three feet from where Devon and Kevin stood talking, beer in hand.

“You checked to make sure the pool gate was locked, didn’t you?” Chuck raised an eyebrow at the men.

“Yeah, man,” Devon nodded, “Before we even brought the girls out here.”

“Not that they are moving off the blanket,” Kevin chuckled, “We tried to put them on the grass, but they didn’t like it much, the blanket is their island and they are happily marooned there.”

The men chuckled as Devon popped the cap off a root beer and handed it to Chuck, “Thanks, Awesome,” Chuck gave him a grateful smile, “So are you hiding from the ladies or just checking out my grill?”

“A little of both,” Kevin admitted.

“Ellie’s gone a little planner crazy, and your lady isn’t far behind,” Devon added, “Not awesome. Gave us an excuse to grab the girls and hide in the yard while we checked out this beast.”

“Master,” Chuck supplied, “It’s the new BeastMaster grill from BuyMore.”

“Awesome,” Devon nodded, looking over the piece of equipment, “I was thinking Ellie and I should get one when we get a house, do you think there might be a house for sale in this neighborhood?”

“I don’t think that would be a wise move, Devon,” Chuck advised, “You forget Sarah and I are here for a reason, we don’t know how much, if any of the neighborhood has been infiltrated by the group we are looking for.”

“Right,” Devon nodded, taking a pull from his beer, “Well maybe when your investigation is over.”

“Or maybe look in a different suburb,” Suggested Chuck, “I mean the LA Valley is full of them, hell you could even move to Irvine, I wouldn’t be surprised if you found some homes for sale in Ellie and my old neighborhood. Good schools, quiet, not to mention safe.”

“Awesome, we’ll have to check it out,” Devon nodded, “Thanks for the tip.”

“No problem,” Chuck nodded.

“Oh my God, Dude!” The three men turned to see Morgan, eyes wide looking out over the yard and back at the house as he stepped out on the patio, “Why didn’t you tell me you’d moved into such sweet digs? How could you even afford this?”

Devon and Kevin gave Chuck a questioning look. “You didn’t tell him?” Devon asked in a soto voice.

“Tell me what?” Morgan turned toward his best friend, eyes searching his buddy’s face, “And what the hell did you do to your arm?”

“Morgan! Language, Awesome’s and my daughters are right there!” Chuck gave him a pointed look before stepping up to him and giving him a bro-hug. “I’m glad you could come man.”

“Thanks,” Morgan smiled up at him, “And sorry about the language, but what didn’t you tell me?”

Chuck stood for a moment, debating before placing his hand on his friend’s shoulder, “Morgan, come with me.” He guided his friend back into the kitchen, “Hey Sarah, with all this food around, should we be concerned about bugs?”

Sarah just smiled back at him, catching his meaning, and shook her head, “No, it’s a little too early in the year for bug problems.” 

“Great,” Chuck nodded, “I’m going to show Morgan the media room, we’ll be back in a little bit.”

“I thought you said you were going to…” Morgan was cut off.

“Morgan, trust me, it will make sense in a minute.” Chuck assured him and guided him toward the stairs that led to the basement. Turning on the light, he watched as Morgan’s eyes widened at the large array of consoles and computers in the large bonus room that was the basement.

“Holy crap, dude!” Morgan exclaimed. “This is your media room?”

“Yeah, but that’s not why I brought you down here,” Chuck indicated toward a sectional couch that curved with the corner of the room, the long end facing a large flat screen television, “I brought you down here because it is the most insulated room in the house, no one can hear us from outside.”

“I can see why that would be important,” Morgan nodded taking a seat, “I mean we do get a little loud when we are gaming.”

“Not the reason Morgan,” Chuck sat kitty corner to his best friend of 20 years. “Morgan, what I’m about to tell you, may be hard to believe, and cannot leave this room, do you understand?”

“Geeze, Chuck, it’s not like it’s a state secret,” Morgan rolled his eyes, “I saw the rings, Dude, I know you and Sarah eloped. I’m not mad, a little sad you didn’t tell me, but I’m happy for you guys.”

“Morgan, please,” Chuck gave him a look that quickly quieted his rambling. “Thank you, and believe it or not, what I am about to tell you is a state secret. Sarah and I aren’t really married, we might be some day, but at the moment we are still just living together and dating, which I know isn’t much of a difference but it’s what it is right now. About eight years ago, about mid-way through my sophomore year at Stanford, I was approached by one of my professors, with a unique opportunity. It turns out that his mid-term’s bonus section, which I’d done remarkably well on, was a tool used to identify potential recruits.”

“Recruits for what?” Morgan gave him a puzzled look, “Are you part of some government think tank or something?”

“Not exactly,” Chuck shook his head, “He offered me a chance to serve my country. The truth is, for the past six years, I have been a hybrid analyst and covert agent for the Central Intelligence Agency, I started off on a project as an analyst, but was later trained to participate and occasionally lead operations in the field.” Chuck paused to evaluate how Morgan was processing this information, “My code name is Charles Carmichael, I’m a spy buddy.”

The men sat in silence for a moment before Morgan spoke softly, “Does Sarah know?”

“Yeah, she was actually recruited in high school,” Chuck gave his friend a small shrug, “That’s a long story and hers to tell when she chooses to.”

“So, she’s a spy, and you’re a spy,” Morgan mused, “Wait, is that little girl out there even yours?”

“Biologically, no,” Chuck shook his head, “She is a victim of an assassination plot. Her parents were murdered, and she has no other biological family. She was also being targeted, but Sarah was able to save her and get her to safety. Since she was an orphan, Sarah was able to pull some strings and adopt her.”

“Wow, I never saw that coming,” Morgan shook his head, “I mean, she looks so much like…”

“Well, Sarah’s polish on her mother’s side and Bartowski is a common name in that area, too, Sarah found her in that general area of Europe,” Chuck shrugged, “We actually met when I was coming back from Europe. She was trying to get back to the states with Molly, but Molly was having some issues with traveling by air, I helped them out.”

“Is that spy code for something?” Morgan inquired.

“No,” Chuck gave his friend a small smile, “I relied on some of my other skills, a little typety-typety and she was upgraded to business class and into the seat next to mine. I then acted like Sarah’s husband and Molly’s father for the duration of the flight.”

“You pulled out the Piranha, didn’t you?” Morgan laughed.

“Just a bit,” Chuck smiled, “When we got back stateside, I never thought I’d see her again. Then a few weeks later, on my birthday, I got an email from a buddy of mine from Stanford who was recruited just a little bit before me.”

“I remember that,” Morgan nodded, “Wait, Bryce is a spy too?” Chuck just nodded, “Yeah, that actually makes sense. So, what did the email say?”

“It didn’t really say anything,” Chuck admitted, “It was a prompt from the version of Zork we’d programmed, ‘The terrible troll raises his sword.’ I typed in the correct response, then all these pictures started flashing at me.”

“Weird,” Morgan shook his head.

“Yeah, turns out the pictures were encoded with information from a program I worked with when I was first starting out in the company, a program I thought had been shuttered three years ago.” Chuck shrugged, “The midterm I’d done so well on back in college, the one that led to me being recruited had to do with subliminal images and retention. As it turns out, I had the highest score they’d ever seen on that section; I was able to recall something like 98% of the information.”

“So now you have all this information in your head?” Morgan gasped, “When did I step into a sci-fi movie?”

“You’re telling me,” Chuck shook his head, “Anyway the night of Ellie’s dinner party and matchmaking event, Sarah shows up at my front door. It turns out that the program was always intended to be used as part of a team, an agent, or analyst, who was able to access and utilize the information in real time would be partnered with one or two agents as support team. Sarah is my partner.”

“So, you two aren’t really together?” Morgan’s eyes widened, “I never would have guessed, that’s gotta suck, man.”

“Oh no, we are together,” Chuck grinned, “Our relationship is very real, to everyone but the company. You see the CIA has strict rules about agent fraternization, so as far as they are concerned, us dating is just a cover. They don’t even know we live together; Sarah still has her mother’s house listed as her place of residence.”

“The house isn’t yours, then?” Morgan looked around.

“No, well, kinda,” Chuck hedged, “The names on the mortgage are our cover names, Charlie and Sarah Danvers.”

“Like Supergirl’s family?” Morgan laughed.

“Yeah, although I don’t think they’d thought of that when they came up with the name,” Chuck shrugged, “My usually used code name might be known by the people we are trying to find, so we couldn’t use Carmichael for this operation. Anyway, our cover names are on the mortgage, and the funds used to purchase the house are through a subsidiary of Carmichael CyberSecurity.”

“So that’s where you got the name from,” Morgan nodded, “I thought maybe you bought the company from someone named Carmichael or had been working with someone named Carmichael to start up, but they weren’t part of if anymore.”

“Technically, Carmichael is me,” Chuck pointed out, “But I understand where you’re coming from. We own the house, but just not under our names, we don’t know what we’ll do once the mission here is over, sell it or keep it.”

“Dude, you gotta keep it,” Morgan enthused, “I mean, this place is great! Big back yard, huge basement tech cave, I bet it even has a ton of bedrooms upstairs.”

“Five,” Chuck shrugged, “And three bathrooms.”

“See, plenty of room for Charahlings!” Morgan grinned.

“I’m sorry, ‘Charah-lings?’” Chuck repeated.

“Chuck and Sarah, Charah,” Morgan stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “You just admitted to me that your thing under the undercover thing is real. Anyone looking at you knows you love the girl, and Sarah, forget about it, she is so far gone over you, it’s not even funny. Hell, dude, her daughter even calls you Daddy. If you don’t put a ring on that, and I mean soon, I just might have to do something about it.”

“What about Alex?” Chuck quirked an eyebrow.

“I didn’t mean marry her!” Morgan protested, “I mean get a minister’s license, I hear they’re easy to get online nowadays, and trick you two into saying your marriage vows.”

“As impressive and disturbing as that is, you do realize you are talking about kidnapping and manipulating two trained and armed, federal agents, right?” Chuck laughed.

“I said nothing about kidnapping,” Morgan shook his head, “A quiet backyard ceremony is more your guys’ style anyway.”

“Yeah, because that makes your whole proposal better,” Chuck teased.

“Hey, if you could see what I see, you wouldn’t question it,” Morgan insisted, “Better yet, you’d come up with your own proposal, use it, and subvert my not-so-devious plans.”

“Whatever, Buddy.” Chuck shook his head, “So, back to the original reason I brought you here. Are you going to be cool about this? You can’t tell anyone about this, you can’t talk to anyone about this, except maybe Alex, Casey told me she knows.”

“Yeah, dude,” Morgan nodded enthusiastically, “I mean, my best friend is a spy! How cool is that? But you don’t have to worry about anything, this won’t leave this room. Why did you tell me now and not when you were first recruited?”

“One, I didn’t think I could come up with a believable reason for this house,” Chuck shrugged, “Two, we told Ellie and Devon and you’re family so it’s only fair you know too. Thirdly, once you finish college, I might have a job waiting for you as a civilian contractor, pending a background check, that is.”

“You want me to work with you?” Morgan looked shocked.

“Only if you want to, we’re thinking of bringing Alex on as well,” Chuck nodded, “May even pay for her law school if she’ll let us, since it sounds like she is leaning that way if Casey is to be believed.”

“Wow, just when I think you can’t do any more you go and do it.” Morgan shook his head in amazement.

“Once you’re a little further along with school, we can come back around to the job offer,” Chuck smiled down at his friend as he stood and stretched his long frame, “Until then, there’s a little girl upstairs who is having a party, and I don’t want to miss a moment more of it.”

“You are such a good dad-spy… spy-dad?” Morgan mused.

“Let’s just say dad and leave it at that,” Chuck clapped his little buddy on the back and led him up the stairs to join the party.

~~~~~~~~~

By the time Chuck and Morgan returned, most of the guests had arrived. Sarah and Ellie were mingling among the guests making sure they had drinks and directed them toward the back porch where Awesome and Kevin had been taking turns grilling up the various sausages, hot dogs, chicken, and hamburgers for the guests. Chuck spotted Sarah in the kitchen as she swung through to grab some extra napkins for their guests. He quickly stepped behind her and wrapped his good arm around her waist, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck in the spot he knew never failed to send shivers down her spine.

“Hey there, pretty lady,” He whispered in her ear.

“Hey, how did your talk with Morgan go?” Sarah turned in his arm, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a slow kiss.

“Mmmm,” He hummed against her mouth, “Better than expected. I thought he would freak out or get over excited… Well, he was excited to know about what I really did for a living, but he was more impressed than anything else. He was a little worried about us, though.”

“Us?” Sarah leaned back, catching his eyes, “Why?”

“Only for a little bit until I assured him that us being together was more than just being partners,” Chuck explained, “He thought it was a cover.”

“Well, it is a cover,” Sarah gave him a small smile.

“True,” He nodded, “But I explained that what you see is what you get with us, the only people who aren’t in the know are our bosses. I also told him why that was. He knows he can’t talk to anyone about it, although I did tell him he could discuss it with Alex since she’s grandfathered… or rather fathered into the company.”

“That makes sense,” She shrugged and gave him one more kiss, “Now that that’s done, we should get outside with the rest of our guests.”

“Good idea,” Chuck nodded, “Where is the birthday girl?”

“She’s been passed around like a hot potato for the past hour or so,” Sarah grabbed the napkins and headed toward the door, “Last I saw her, my mom had her and Clara on the blanket in the backyard playing. We should probably go get her and feed her, unless someone else already has.”

“Your mom already fed her,” Ellie informed them, hearing the last bit of their conversation.

“Thanks, Ellie,” Sarah smiled over at her pseudo sister-in-law.

“I finally got Devon to switch places with Kevin at the grill so that we could all sit down and eat together,” Ellie nodded over toward a table where Devon was seated, a plate loaded with potato and fruit salads in front of him and a cheeseburger in his hands. “Why don’t you two go grab your plates and join us?”

“That sound’s great, Elle,” Chuck gave his sister a smile as he wrapped his right arm around Sarah’s waist and led her to the table that was serving as the buffet for the party. After a little negotiation, they figured out it was best if they each held their own plates and Sarah served them from the dishes available. After a quick stop at the grill for a sausage for Chuck and a chicken breast for Sarah, they joined the rest of their family.

The four spoke and laughed as they ate their food, each of them casting their eyes over to where Emma was playing with her granddaughters from time to time. Everything was going along fine until Devon took a bite of his cheeseburger. He’d grilled it to be on the rarer side of medium and the juice from the patty dripped onto the plate, the watery red liquid pooling on his plate. At the sight, Sarah looked green and excused herself from the table and dashed into the kitchen. Chuck and Ellie watched her go, concerned looks on their faces.

“I’ve got it,” Ellie assured her brother when he looked toward her, “You eat.”

“I hope she isn’t sick,” Chuck sighed, playing with his potato salad before scooping a bite onto his fork as he watched his sister disappear into the house.

“Well, if she is, there’s no one better to take care of her,” Devon assured him, “Ellie is one of the best doctors I know.”

“Even before she was a doctor, she always knew how to make me feel better,” Chuck agreed, turning back to his meal, trusting Ellie had the matter well in hand.

It didn’t take long for Ellie to find Sarah, standing over the kitchen sink, a cool cloth pressed to her face. “Hey, Sweetie, are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine, Ellie,” Sarah assured her with a wan smile, “Just got a little nauseous, it happens sometimes when I forget to eat.”

“Are you sure that’s what it is?” Ellie spoke softly, pressing a hand to Sarah’s forehead to see if she might have a fever, “When I got here, it looked like you were cleaning up from breakfast, didn’t you eat then?”

“Just a little toast and some fruit,” Sarah shrugged, “I wasn’t very hungry, especially after your brother started eating his eggs with…” She swallowed thickly, “Well you know how he likes his eggs.”

“Uh huh,” Ellie gave her a knowing look, “Sweetie, you weren’t feeling too good last night, and then repeated bouts of nausea this morning and right now.” She pressed the back of her hand to Sarah’s forehead, “You don’t have a fever either…”

“What are you saying, Ellie?” Sarah looked worried.

“Sarah,” Ellie turned her until the younger woman was facing her directly, “Is it possible you might be…”

Sarah’s eyes widened at the implication, “No!” She exclaimed, “I mean, I don’t think so. I mean we use protection.”

“Every time?” Ellie raised a knowing eyebrow at her.

“Well,” Sarah blushed and looked toward her feet, “There may have been a few times we may have forgotten like in the…”

“I don’t need details,” Ellie waived her hands in front of her signaling Sarah to cease her explanation.

“I’m also on the pill,” Sarah protested.

“Well, no birth control is completely effective,” Ellie gave her a small smile, “Well, aside from abstinence. When was your last period?”

Sarah paused a moment, trying to remember. The longer it took, the larger the smile on Ellie’s face grew, “Sweetie, if you have to put that much thought into it, it’s been a while.”

“Do you think I could be?” Sarah looked up at her.

“Everything you’ve told me, and I’ve seen, points that way,” Ellie took her hands in her own and gave them a small squeeze. “I think you should talk to Chuck and take a test, preferably in that order.”

“You’re right,” Sarah nodded, her shaky breath giving away the nerves she felt.

“Perhaps once all the guests have gone home.” Ellie advised.

“Yeah, probably a good idea, I mean we’d have to go and pick up a test and everything, anyway.” Sarah rambled, “No use in worrying him when we have a house full of guests.”

“But don’t wait too long,” Ellie gave her a pointed look.

“Okay,” Sarah nodded, “I’ll talk to him tonight, promise.”

“Good,” Ellie smiled, “Well, we should probably get back out there, there’s a little girl who still needs to decimate a cake out there.”

Sarah couldn’t help but laugh at Ellie’s turn of phrase, “Yeah, I’m kinda looking forward to this, from how you described it, I think this is going to be fun to watch.”

“Good, you go get the birthday girl in her highchair and I’ll go get Devon to help me get the cakes.” Ellie directed, Sarah nodded her understanding and the two women set about their tasks.

By the time Sarah had Molly stripped down to her diaper, silently grateful for the warm afternoon, and put into her highchair, Ellie and Devon had returned with the cakes. Chuck joined her in thanking everyone for coming and announced that it was time to celebrate the birthday girl. The adults sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Molly and gathered around to watch the little girl as she tasted her cake. Devon did his due diligence as proud uncle, taking as many candid photos of Molly making a mess of her smash cake while Ellie stood nearby with Clara propped on her hip.

Within minutes, Molly had lost interest in the cake after eating about a third of it and turning the rest in to a mushy lump of crumbled sponge cake and buttercream frosting, the vibrant flowers that once decorated the cake were now blended into a dingy grey color.

“Good thing you stripped her down to her diaper,” Chuck laughed as Sarah carried the frosting and cake covered little girl into the kitchen to hose down.

“Your sister’s idea,” Sarah smiled back at him over her shoulder as she tested the water running from the tap, “She said Clara nearly stained her birthday outfit eating her smash cake a few months ago. Could you go grab me one of her washcloths?”

“Sure,” Chuck nodded and ran upstairs to the linen closet to grab the requested item, when he returned, he made silly faces to keep Molly occupied while Sarah quickly wiped the girl down.

“Alright, I’m going to run upstairs and get her changed,” Sarah explained, “Could you round up the troops for presents?”

“Sure thing, Babe,” Chuck kissed her cheek and headed out toward the back yard where he promptly called everyone to gather in the living room where all the gifts where piled up.

Two hours later, the presents had been unwrapped, guests had gone, and Molly and Clara were sleeping in Molly’s crib upstairs. Ellie excused herself saying she had to run a quick errand while Devon stayed back and cleaned the grill. Sarah was doing dishes while Chuck busied himself picking up the scraps of wrapping paper in the living room. All in all, the party had been a success, ending only when the guest of honor and her cousin started to get cranky and in desperate need of their afternoon naps. Chuck was in the garage, tossing the large trash bag of wrapping paper in the trash can when Ellie returned so he never saw Ellie pull the small white and pink box from her purse and hand it discreetly to Sarah. The two shared a look and Sarah nodded.

“I swear that wrapping paper was multiplying across the living room like tribbles,” Chuck gave a small laugh when he entered the kitchen once more. He saw Sarah take a deep breath, as if she was ramping up to say something, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” She shook her head, “At least, I feel fine, all things considered. I really don’t know how to describe how I am other than, ‘Fine.’ Um, Chuck, can we go upstairs and talk for a minute?”

Chuck’s jovial mood quickly changed to one of concern, “Uh, yeah Sweetheart, we can do that. Just let me tell Ellie we’re heading upstairs.”

“She already knows,” Sarah assured him, “That’s why she’s out back with Awesome right now, to give us our privacy.”

Chuck gave her a look that was a mix of concern, love, and puzzlement as he nodded and followed her, silently, up the stairs to their room. When he entered, he found Sarah pacing the floor of their room like a caged tiger, it was clear she was trying to find a way to start the conversation she needed to have with him.

“Sarah, Baby, you’re making me dizzy, could you please sit down and let me know what has you so wound up?” Chuck spoke softly, holding his hand out to her.

Sarah stopped in her tracks and looked at him for a moment before giving him a small nod and walking toward the bed where Chuck was now seated, taking his hand as she went. “I don’t even know where to start…”

“The beginning would be a good place,” Chuck gave her a small smile, “Sarah, whatever it is, we can handle it, together. I love you.”

“I love you too, Chuck,” Sarah sighed, “Beginning, okay, um beginning, yeah. You know how Ellie told you last night that I was worried sick?”

Chuck nodded, staying silent, his eyes searching her face as he waited for her to find her words.

“Well, it wasn’t just last night, I’ve been feeling a little under the weather for about a week now.” Sarah continued, “Not all the time, just small bouts of nausea here and there, but I suffered a couple of them today. First when you ate your breakfast, when you put the ketchup on your eggs, it made my stomach turn, it was all I could do to not heave. Normally I just think it’s disgusting, but I’ve never had a physical reaction to it. Then I had another one when Awesome was eating his cheeseburger, the dripping juice caused the same nausea for me.

“Ellie followed me into the kitchen and talked with me until the nausea passed,” Sarah looked up at him, “She started asking all these questions, ones that I hadn’t thought of myself, or at least was afraid to ask myself. Chuck, where do you see this going?”

Chuck’s eyes widened in shock, “’This?’ As in us this?” He questioned only to be answered by a nod from his girlfriend, “I mean, in a perfect world, live together for a while more, eventually get engaged, then married, maybe after a couple years a sibling or two for Molly?”

“Would it have to be in that order?” Sarah asked softly.

“No, I guess not,” Chuck shrugged, “Why what are you saying?”

“I don’t know,” Sarah gave him a sheepish smile, “I mean I know we use protection, most of the time, but you have to admit there have been times we’ve forgotten, or gotten so wrapped up in the moment that condoms kind of fell to the wayside. Not to mention we have a fairly active sex life, so there has been ample opportunity. On top of all that, I’m late.”

“You’re late?” Chuck repeated, eyes widening, “Like late, late?”

“Yeah,” Sarah nodded, scared to look him in the eyes to see his reaction.

“Wow,” He gasped, a bemused smile on his face, “So you think you’re… we might be…”

“Chuck,” Sarah forced herself to look up at him, “I think I’m pregnant.”

“Really?” The grin on his face ever widening, “I mean are you sure?”

“No,” Sarah shook her head, “I haven’t taken a test or anything, I wanted to talk it over with you first. I was hoping we could find out together.”

“Okay, so the next step is we get a test,” Chuck stood and headed toward the door.

“Chuck, that was what your sister’s errand was earlier,” Sarah cut him off before he could get to the door.

“So, we’re going to do this now?” Chuck’s eyebrows raised as he looked down at her.

“No better time than the present,” Sarah gave him a shy smile, “So, I’ll go in there, do my thing and we can look together?”

“Yeah, yeah, um do your thing,” Chuck nodded resuming his perch on the side of the bed as he watched her walk toward the bathroom, “I’ll just wait out here.”

Sarah nodded and shut the door behind her. Moments later, Chuck heard the toilet flush followed by the sound of running water before Sarah opened the door and beckoned him in. As he entered and took a seat next to her on the side of the tub, he saw her set the timer on her phone and set it next to a white plastic stick that was laying on the counter.

“So, do you think we’re ready for this?” Chuck asked as they waited, “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Molly and am so honored to be her dad, but are we ready to add another little one to our family?”  
“I don’t know,” Sarah shrugged, “I think we are doing really well with Molly, and having her enter our lives wasn’t planned, but we never really discussed having more.”

“Well, to be honest, I kind of always hoped for maybe one or two more,” Chuck spoke quietly, “But I always thought it would be at least a few years down the road.”

A soft smile spread across Sarah’s lips, “If we are being honest, for the past several months I’ve kind of daydreamed about where our lives would take us. And no matter the circumstances, there were always three things that were the same, you were there, Molly was there, and there was a little boy who was the spitting image of you all brown curls and big chocolate eyes that spoke more fluently than words ever could. And there was love and warmth and happiness.”

“’Love and warmth and happiness,’” Chuck murmured, “I kinda like that. I kinda like it a lot.”

“Me too,” Sarah smiled as she lay her head on his shoulder, her hand wrapped in his, their wedding rings glinting in the afternoon light streaming through the window. They sat in silence a few moments more before the timer on Sarah’s phone started going off. She took a deep breath and stood, walking toward the counter. “Okay, this is it,” She sighed, claiming her seat next to him once more.

“Moment of truth,” Chuck nodded as they peered down at the white stick in Sarah’s hand. They saw the test line in the first window, but the second window was very faint. “What is that? An equal sign, and arrow?”

“A peace sign, is that even an option?” Sarah searched frantically for the instructions that came in the box. Finding the section she was looking for, she matched what was on the test with what was in the instructions, “Okay, so that means… No.”

“No?” Chuck checked, “Okay, alright… how do you feel?”

“Strange,” Sarah admitted, “I mean once Ellie said something I kinda got it all built up in my head, I didn’t even stop to think that it might not be that.”

They sat in silence for a moment before Chuck stood, tossed the test in the trash and held out his hand to Sarah. She looked up at him questioningly for a moment before slipping her hand into his and rising to her feet. He silently led her to the bed where he sat, scooting over and up until he was leaned against the headboard, pulling her along with him to snuggle up together. That was all she needed to relax, and almost as soon as she did, the first hot tear fell down her cheek.

“Hey, hey,” Chuck looked down at her, feeling the sudden warmth against his chest and the slight tremble in her body, “What’s this?”

“Am I a terrible person?” She asked quietly.

“What?” Chuck asked, confused, “No. Why would you even think that?”

“My first thought once the test came up negative was relief,” Sarah admitted.

“Oh Baby,” Chuck cooed, kissing her head, “To be honest, I was a little relieved too. I mean I want to have kids with you some day, and I hope that day is in the not so distant future. I’ve dreamed of what it would be like to see you with a little one that is a little piece of both of us. Not that Molly isn’t, she is a little piece of both our hearts, and I can’t imagine loving her more if she were biologically ours.”

“I know what you mean,” Sarah sighed, wiping a tear from her cheek, “I want that someday too.” She was silent for a moment before she spoke again, “I’m also a little sad.”

“Me too,” Chuck admitted, pulling her close, “But we have to trust that when the time is right, it will happen. When we have another little one, planned or not, I will be the happiest man on this Earth. That being said, I am already the happiest man on this Earth, I have a beautiful woman by my side who is not just my partner, but my best friend, my lover, a wonderful mother to our daughter, and probably the smartest and sexiest woman to ever grace this world. On top of all that, we share a beautiful, equally smart, little girl who will likely be the death of me when she starts dating in about 13 or 14 years. What more could I ever want.”

“How is it you always know just the right thing to say?” Sarah raised her head to look up at him.

Chuck simply gave her a warm smile and wiped a tear from her eye, “I don’t know the right things to say, I just say what I feel and hope for the best.”

“Well Mister Bartowski, or Carmichael, or Danvers, whatever your incarnation happens to be at any given moment,” Sarah gave him a brilliant smile, “I have to tell you, that I can’t think of a better man to have by my side as my partner, my lover, and my best friend. I never thought I would ever find anyone who would be the full package for me until I met this amazing, wonderful, brilliant, intelligent on a plane from Paris who’s smiles alone could make me melt like the richest chocolate, which incidentally matches his eyes. Did I mention handsome, sexy, and nerdy to boot? I also love him with all my heart and can’t wait to grow our family when the time is right.”

“So, we’re in agreement?” Chuck held her gaze, “We’re relieved but still a little sad over the test results and want kids someday, whenever that might be.”

“I like that,” Sarah nodded, pressing a warm kiss to his lips, “But I’m with you on one thing, though.”

“What’s that?” Chuck asked.

“When someday comes, I really hope to be wearing your ring for real by then,” Sarah stated simply, “I don’t think I’m ready yet.”

“Me either,” Chuck agreed, “But I might be soon.”

“Me too,” Sarah relaxed against his shoulder, grinning as she felt his arms pull her closer to his body as she melted into his warmth.

They’d sat there for a little while when they heard a soft knock on the door. When Chuck called out that it was okay to enter, the door slowly swung open, revealing Ellie, a newly awakened Clara leaning against her shoulder, “Hey,” She smiled softly at them, “How are you?”

“Relieved and a little sad,” Chuck responded. When he saw the questioning look on his older sister’s face, “It was a false alarm, we’re not pregnant, at least not yet, but we agree that we wouldn’t be opposed to it someday.”

“Okay,” Ellie nodded, “Well, there are two tests in the box just in case. Sarah if nothing has happened after about a week, take the other test. If it still comes back negative, or positive for that matter, let me know, I’ll get you in to see my friend.”

“Alright,” Sarah nodded, pushing up from her position in Chuck’s arms and sliding off the bed. Crossing the room, she pulled Ellie into a strong embrace, “Thank you.”

“What are sisters for?” Ellie smiled at the younger woman before turning and receiving a similar embrace from her brother, “You take care of her.”

“I always do,” Chuck promised.

“Molly’s up, Devon has her downstairs.” Ellie informed them, “We thought we would give you some time together. I figured whichever way it wound up going, you would need some time to yourselves.”

“We appreciate that Elle,” Chuck smiled down at her, “We should probably go relieve Awesome from Uncle duty so you two can get home.”

The three of them descended the stairs and joined Awesome and Molly in the living room. After a round of hugs, the Woodcombs left. Leaving the ‘Danvers’ in the relative silence of their home.


	29. Chapter 29

The weeks following Molly’s party went fast, a few days later they had definitive proof that Sarah was not pregnant, and by the time Chuck’s arm was free of the sling and they were able to host their neighborhood cookout, it was three weeks later. Chuck and Sarah were balancing their hosting duties with Chuck manning the grill, Sarah putting together sides in the kitchen, and them both keeping a close eye on Molly who had started pulling herself up on the furniture and was likely to start walking soon.

“Charlie!” Chuck turned to hear the familiar sound of Brad’s voice as the man stepped out on the patio, his arm around his thin wife whose auburn hair fell in waves over her shoulders. “I see you are finally free of the sling!”

“Hey Brad,” Chuck flipped the last of the burgers and closed the lid to the grill before greeting his neighbor with a handshake, “Yeah, doc said it was okay to start using it again, still can’t use the arm to pick up my daughter, but I’ll have to start physical therapy soon to build up my strength again.”

“Ouch!” Brad gave him a sympathetic look, “I had to go through PT for a knee injury some time back, that as no fun at all. Charlie, I would like you to meet my wife, Julie.”

“Nice to meet you,” Chuck shook her hand with a warm and welcoming smile, “My Sarah is around here somewhere, probably keeping the kid out of trouble. I think we’re close to first steps territory.”

“The wife or the kid?” Brad joked.

“Good one,” He chuckled, “Our daughter, Molly. Her cousin was running circles around her a few weeks ago at her party, I think she’s eager to be able to keep up.”

At that moment, Sarah came out, Molly on one hip, a bowl of fruit salad clutched in her other arm, “Charlie, Baby, could you please take her?”

“Yeah,” Chuck nodded and reached out his right arm to Molly who quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled her head onto his shoulder as she settled against his side, one leg in front and behind his torso from her side-seat. “Oh, before I forget, Brad, Julie, this is my wife, Sarah and our daughter, Molly.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Sarah gave the couple a friendly smile before walking toward the table that was serving as the buffet line and placing the bowl of fruit salad on the table.

“I’m going to go see if she needs any help,” Julie excused herself to off her assistance to the hostess.

It didn’t take long for the neighbors to divide into two main groups with stragglers roaming between. The women had settled on the porch swing and patio furniture while the men had congregated near the pool’s fence. Molly had fallen asleep at some point and was resting against her father’s shoulder as he visited with the other men from the cul-de-sac. Chuck could feel her body getting heavier in his arms and excused himself to take Molly upstairs to lay her down as the men commented about a father’s work never being done.

Thankfully, Molly didn’t stir as he quickly changed her diaper and laid her in her crib to continue her nap. Making sure the monitor app on his phone was up, and the monitor was turned on in the bedroom, Chuck made his way back down to the party, stopping briefly in the kitchen to grab a beer. Stepping out on the patio, he heard the punchline of a joke Brad was telling that was very likely lame, but everyone treated as if it were comic gold. He stood and watched Sarah interact with the neighbors as he quietly sipped his beer. Chuck let out a small sigh and received a sympathetic look from an older woman with a blonde bob who stood from the bar stool she’d perched herself on and sauntered toward him.

“I feel the exact same way,” She gave him a smile that bordered on predatory. “Can I tell you a secret? These people bore me, we have these little get togethers at least twice a month.”

“Twice a month?” Chuck quirked an eyebrow.

“It’s like clockwork; we rotate who is hosting every couple weeks.” She added, “Count yourself lucky you missed the last one, I just about brained myself to escape the sheer monotony of it all. I far prefer the excitement of city life, Mr.…”

“Danvers, Charles Danvers,” Chuck supplied, “Is it really that bad?”

“Sylvia.” The older woman introduced herself, “You know, I can think of a few ways we could relieve the boredom, if you catch my drift,” The hunger in her eyes apparent as her gaze drifted over his form.

“As... intriguing… as that offer is,” Chuck stammered as he raised his left hand to her eye level so she could see the ring on his finger, “I am very, very married.”

“Who here isn’t?” She chuckled in response. “My husband is right over there.”

Chuck followed her gaze, noticing the large man who was standing a few feet from Sarah and gulped, “He’s rather imposing, isn’t he? What line of work is he in?”

“The kind that takes him out of town,” She gave him a coy grin, “…often.”

“Charlie!” Chuck’s eyes quickly found Sarah’s who was waving him over.

“That’s the wife, I take it?” The older woman snarked, “She seems very... pretty. Trust me that won’t last.”

“I love her for more than how beautiful she is,” Chuck countered.

“Uh huh,” The woman rolled her eyes, “Let me guess, you’ve been married less than three years, she probably got pregnant within a year of the wedding? Trust me, the shine will eventually fade. When it does, come find me, I’m in the house right across from yours.”

“I think I’m going to have to pass on that offer, Sylvia,” Chuck shook his head, “I’m very flattered, and... and... yeah, I’m going to pass.”

He didn’t wait for her response before walking towards Sarah and giving her a lingering kiss, hoping to scrub their neighbor’s unwanted offer from his brain.

“Mmmm,” Sarah smiled up at him, “What was that for?”

“I’ll tell you later,” Chuck whispered to her, “For now, I’m just going to say I love you and thank you for fake-marrying me.”

“You keep kissing me like that and I just may have to take you upstairs and show you what’s real and what is fake,” The smile she gave him melted him from the inside out and made his knees weak. “Did Molly go down okay?”

“Yeah, didn’t even stir when I changed her diaper,” Chuck nodded as he heard the doorbell chime from within the house. “Are you expecting anyone else, Hun?”

“No,” She shook her head as she slid down from her stool and started toward the front door, Chuck close behind. Opening the door revealed Casey in a workman’s jumpsuit bearing the name of some generic company. “Can I help you?”

“Good afternoon,” Casey gave them a forced smile and ‘consulted’ the clipboard in his hand, “Mr. and Mrs. Danvers?” He paused a moment as they nodded their acknowledgement, “We’ve been receiving report of rolling blackouts in this neighborhood, so we are performing spot checks on your block, do you mind if I come in?”

Sarah nodded and stepped aside, allowing the older man to enter. Casey cast a quick look around and pulled a device out of his pocket and, turning it on, cast it about as if checking the electrical output. A soft beeping noise was emitted, the speed increasing the closer to the kitchen they came, sitting on the kitchen counter was a variety of dishes that had been brought over by the neighbors. The beeping was soon so rapid it was nearly one prolonged tone. Casey gave them both a meaningful look and felt along the underside of the cake stand. When he pulled his hand back, he held a small cylindrical item in his hand, Chuck felt his eyes start to flutter as the flash hit him.

“We were getting interference, started about the time the neighbors started to show up,” Casey explained once he turned the device off, “Looks like one of ours.”

“Actually,” Chuck corrected, “It used to be ours, it was stolen from a substation in Nebraska a few years back by Fulcrum.”

“Well that confirms it,” Sarah sighed and turned to Chuck, “I think it’s about time to end the party.”

“I agree,” Chuck nodded and wrapped his arm around his ‘wife’s’ waist. A half hour later, after apologies and excuses of Molly not feeling well, the three teammates remained. Casey did a quick sweep, reporting the house was, once again, clean.

“That does it for me,” Casey nodded, putting his detector back in his pocket as he entered the living room where Chuck had been sitting, waiting for the sweep to be concluded as Sarah paced anxiously, “I’ll figure out where this may have come from and get back to you with the results. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.” He added the last with his standard mocking smirk and sarcastic tone.

Sarah followed Casey to the front door and closed it behind him before crossing the room and settling herself in Chuck’s lap as he wrapped his arms around her. “I really don’t know how I feel about this,” She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder, “I mean, on one hand I’m glad we got a break in the case, but on the other hand I was really starting to enjoy our time here.”

“I know what you mean,” Chuck nodded, running his hand up and down her forearm before resting it on her wrist as his thumb traced small circles over her ulnar notch. “I was kinda hoping we wouldn’t find anything, but I know that’s not realistic.”

“It’s not,” She agreed, kissing his cheek, “But it’s a nice thought nonetheless.”

~~~~~~~~~

“_Everybody’s working for the weekend…_” The radio started to play, awakening Chuck from his slumber. He reached out and slapped the button to turn it off and rolled over, hoping to find Sarah’s side of the bed still occupied. The cool sheet beneath his hand gave proof that he was alone in the bed. Breathing a sigh, he rolled back over and slowly sat up and placed his feet on the floor, elbows resting on his knees as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. Standing, he stretched with a yawn and padded toward the en suite bathroom to start his day.

A half hour later, he descended the stairs, suit jacket in hand and tie hanging loosely around his neck. He quickly laid his suit jacket over his briefcase which sat on the table by the door and turned back to the kitchen, taking the long way around the island, he blew a raspberry on Molly’s cheek, making her giggle from her seat in her highchair before turning his attention to her mother, his wife for this mission. “Good morning, beautiful wife of mine,” He murmured, pressing a loving kiss to her lips.

“Good morning, Chuck,” The smile she gave him could have lit a city block, “Did you sleep well?”

“You know I did,” He grinned, “I always sleep well when you’re in my arms.”

He didn’t see Sarah’s eye roll as he busied himself with grabbing cereal, milk, and a bowl to put his breakfast together. Pouring and doctoring his coffee to his liking, he returned to the table to eat his breakfast. “So, are you and Ellie ready for Josie’s shower tomorrow?”

“Yep,” Sarah nodded, taking a bite of her own cereal. “We’re holding a tea for her in the afternoon. I’ll drop Molly off in the morning with Mom before picking up Ellie and any last-minute supplies we might need. You’ll need to be out of the house by 14:00 as the ladies are going to start arriving around fourteen-thirty.”

“I promise to make myself scarce, I think Morgan mentioned some of the guys from the BuyMore have a poker game going on tomorrow, maybe I’ll join them,” He noticed the look on his pseudo-bride’s face, “Or maybe I’ll pick up Molly and head over to Devon and Ellies to see what Awesome and Clara are up to. Maybe enjoy a joint daddy-daughter day at the zoo or something.”

“Just so long as you are…” she started.

“Out of the house by 14:30,” Chuck nodded with a teasing grin, “I’ll let you know if I wind up getting Molly from your mom’s.”

“Sounds good,” She nodded, rising from her seat to rinse out her and Molly’s now empty cereal bowls and place them in the sink. As Chuck finished up his breakfast, she pulled down his thermos and prepared some more coffee for his drive into work. She had just snapped the lid into place when she felt Chuck brush by her on his way to the sink, despite there being enough room for both of them in the pathway between the countertop and the island. She felt his soft lips against the sensitive part of her neck just below her ear as he slid past to rinse out his own bowl. Turning toward him, she saw him closing the door of the dishwasher and walking back her way.

“Here’s your coffee,” She handed him the travel mug and set to work tying his tie for him. He could have done it himself, but they both enjoyed this brief moment of domesticity they shared every morning. Once the knot was finished and adjusted to pull his collar closed just below his Adam’s apple, he felt her tug slightly on the thin piece of fabric, pulling him down to her for a kiss. Like every other morning she did this, he felt the promise the kiss always included. He pulled her closer with his free hand and deepened the kiss, his own promise communicated in the action. “Have a good day,” Sarah whispered, smoothing his tie against his chest as they slowly stepped back from one another.

“I’ll see you tonight,” He smiled down at her, “I love you.”

“Love you too,” She rose up on her toes and gave him one more quick kiss before releasing him to say goodbye to Molly.

Chuck could feel her eyes on him as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Molly’s cheek, “I love you too, Sweet Pea.”

“Dada!” Molly squealed reaching up to him. He just took her small hands in his own large one and pressed a kiss to each of them. “Dada bye-bye.”

“That’s right, Baby Girl,” Sarah confirmed, “Daddy has to go bye-bye.”

Chuck gave his girls one last smile and headed toward the living room. He set his coffee on the table and pulled on his suit jacket, did his usual three-point check; breast pocket for his reading glasses, front pockets for his keys and phone, and back pocket for his wallet. Satisfied he had everything, he picked up his travel mug once more and his briefcase and headed out the door. He was halfway to the Prius when he heard Sarah’s voice calling him. He turned to see she had pulled on a rose-colored robe that matched the short nighty she had worn to bed the previous night and had apparently reclaimed from the floor that morning when she woke up.

“Would you mind picking up a few things at the store for me?” She asked sweetly, handing him a narrow piece of paper. “Thanks Charlie, Baby.”

“You’re welcome,” Chuck gave her one last kiss partly for the benefit of the neighbors, a few of whom were outside, watching them, and partly for them. “I’ll see you tonight. Love you.”

“Love you too,” She smiled once more at him and turned on her slippered heel and headed back inside as he walked the rest of the way to his car and got in. Minutes later, he was pulling out of the subdivision and toward the highway to make his way to the office.

~~~~~~~~~

Chuck had double checked the note when he’d sat down at his desk that morning, relief washing over him as he read Sarah’s all-clear message. That was one less thing he had to worry about, at least for now. He’d just booted up his computer when he heard a knock on his door, looking up, he saw Casey. “Come on in, Casey,” He waved the older man in, “What did you find out?”

Casey approached the desk and stood behind one of the guest chairs until Chuck indicated permission to sit. For Casey it was habit to wait for his team leader or commanding officer to give permission for such things, Chuck knew this and followed the set protocol for his teammate. “While you and Walker were off in the ‘burbs mixing your chocolate with her peanut butter, I’ve been down here doing some real work.” He tossed a folder onto Chuck’s desk.

Chuck gave him an unimpressed look and opened the file. The first item was a picture of an older man, tall and muscular, with a caption identifying him as Cliff Granger. “Isn’t this that cougar lady’s husband?”

“Yeah,” Casey nodded, “When I pulled the fingerprints from the bug we found and ran it against the data base, he turned up. Turns out, prior to defecting to Fulcrum, the guy is former CIA Psy-Ops. Those agency shrinks are a bunch of hippies and weirdos if you ask me, and this guy was the worst of them, really like messing with people’s minds.”

“Well that’s more than a little disturbing,” Chuck murmured, turning to the next item in the folder, “What’s with the heavy duty fiberoptic cable?”

“When I checked his bank records, I found he’s bought a ton of this stuff, over the past couple years,” Casey supplied, “Tried to throw us off by purchasing through different accounts and shipping to different locations, but it all traces back to him.”

Chuck looked closer at the cable and his eyes widened, “Shit, this is Infiniband,” He groaned, “This is what we use for our intranet servers.”

“Do you have any clue what he might be using it for?” Casey pressed.

“I haven’t a clue,” Chuck shook his head, “But whatever it is, it isn’t good. Like hacking into government servers not good. But that also means he’s not a skilled hacker or doesn’t have one on his team. A good hacker wouldn’t need anything this heavy to get the job done, only something a few steps up from what a normal user would have.”

“We need to find out what he’s after,” Casey advised, “Someone needs to get in there and find the computer that this cable leads to.”

“And I have the perfect opening,” Chuck groaned, sitting back in his chair, “Sarah is gonna kill me.”

“Walker’s a professional,” Casey countered, “She understands the job.”

“You’re right, she’s a professional,” Chuck agreed, “She’ll kill crazy cougar lady, then me, then bring me back to life to kill me again before letting Ellie have a crack at me.”

“Good, glad we got that settled,” Casey slapped his hand on Chuck’s desk and stood to exit. “Your lady friend is throwing McAllister a party for her offspring; you will go in then. James and I will serve as back-up.

“I’m really starting to hate this mission,” Chuck sighed, resigning himself to what he had to do.

~~~~~~~~

The shower was still going when Chuck pulled back into Meadow branch. He could see Sarah and Ellie mingling with the other women in the house as they celebrated the upcoming birth of Josie and Kevin’s baby. The couple had found out a little over a month ago that they were going to have a little boy, so the house and mailbox were decorated in shades of blue and green. He was thankful for the quiet engine of the Prius as he pulled his car to a stop in the driveway and quickly got out of the car.

Nerves were making him jittery as he took one last glance at the house he’d shared with Sarah, absentmindedly playing with the ring on his finger as he crossed the cul-de-sac to Sylvia’s house. He checked his breath quickly before ringing the bell. The wait seemed like it was taking forever as he tried to quash the guilt that was welling up inside of him as he tried to remind himself that he wasn’t actually cheating on Sarah, that he wasn’t going to let it get that far, and this whole charade was just a ruse to get inside the house.

He was tempted to turn around and leave, cut his losses, when the door swung open revealing Sylvia, dressed impeccably in a blue satin blouse that had one more button open than what could be considered appropriate for a woman of her age, and black skirt. The smile on her lips was feral as she recognized the man on her front step, “Well isn’t this a surprise?” She practically purred, “You sure came over fast.”

“What can I say?” Chuck shrugged, “Charlie Danvers is always over fast.”

Sylvia gave him a humored look as she noticed Chuck realize what he’d just said. “Come on in.”

“Nice one, Carmichael,” He heard Casey taunt him over his com, “I’ve scoped out the exterior and it looks like the cable is fed through the northwest corner on the second floor.”

Chuck coughed in acknowledgement as Sylvia led him through the house and up the stairs to the master suite, “What do you think your pretty little wife would say if she knew you were over here?” Sylvia asked, “Would she be jealous?”

“I doubt she would even notice,” Chuck sighed, trying to sound casual as he turned back toward her, “She’s always with her girlfriends or our daughter, it’s almost like I’m not needed any more.”

“Well, let’s just see what we can do about that,” Sylvia backed him up toward the bed, pushing his jacket off his shoulders before reaching for his belt, “Tell me, when is the last time you and your wife made love?”

_Just this morning_, Chuck barely avoided admitting, “Well that’s a…” He watched nervously as she pushed his pants down, leaving him in his boxers, “That’s a very personal question. Things have been… well…”

“Aww, you poor baby,” Sylvia cooed, pressing up against him, running her hands through his curls and down his jaw, neck, and shoulders before pushing against his chest, causing him to fall back onto the bed. “Let me show you just how wanted you are.” She hovered over him a moment before stepping back and pulling his shoes off. His pants quickly followed as she began removing his socks, “And trust me, you are very, very, wanted.”

“Hey now!” Chuck gasped, “What are you doing, you minx, what are you doing with my socks?!”

“Just getting some things out of the way,” She grinned, pulling something from the drawer in the nightstand and crawling over him again, “That way we can get to the fun stuff,” She grabbed his left wrist and slapped one side of the furry handcuffs around it before attaching the other side to the headboard of the bad.

“Oh wow,” Chuck stammered, “I think things are going a little fast.”

“I thought you liked it fast,” Sylvia purred in his ear, nipping at his earlobe as she ran her hands down his chest and abs, grinning as she felt the muscles beneath his shirt.

“Well, I’m kinda new to all of this,” Chuck gave her a weak smile, “Maybe, maybe we should talk a moment first.”

“Oh, come now, Charlie,” She nuzzled his neck, “I think we both know you didn’t come here to talk.”

“I’ve never done the whole,” He gulped, “Ahem, adultery thing, before. Maybe a drink, a little liquid courage to calm the nerves a bit…”

Sylvia sighed and pushed up from him, “Scotch?”

“Sounds great,” Chuck nodded quickly.

“I’ll be right back,” She rolled her eyes as she stood and headed out the door and down the stairs.

Chuck started casting his eyes around the room, trying to figure out a way out of the situation he’d found himself in. He knew he could break his thumb to release himself from the cuffs but wanted to save that as a last resort. He noticed something shining in the afternoon light streaming through the windows, his eyes widened as he realized it was the handcuff key that had been left on the nightstand. He tried flipping over, but it was just out of his reach by hand. After a bit of contorting, he was able to get his foot far enough to reach the key and grasp it with his toes, before reaching down with his fingers and grabbing the key. It didn’t take his long to free himself from the handcuffs and he set about trying to find the computer.

He noticed two doors along the wall, as the layout of the house was the same as the one he and Sarah had moved into, he knew the first door led to the bathroom while the second was a connecting door to the room next door. He and Sarah had used it for Molly’s room, but it looked like Sylvia and Cliff used it as an office. The walls were a dull grey and the room was sparsely furnished with a narrow bookshelf, a desk and a computer. Noticing the computer required a password, he started looking around for clues as to what it could be, he noticed a desktop Zen garden with rocks and a few small lizards. He remembered reading in the reports that since his psychotic break, that Yeager had been muttering something repeatedly. Going on instinct, he typed in what he hoped to be the password, S-A-L-A-M-A-N-D-E-R. The screen unlocked, a prompt stating ‘test sequence initiated’ blinked and suddenly a series of pictures began to flash across the screen. Chuck tried to look way, but found that, just like with the intersect images Bryce had sent him, and the occasional updates that were sent, he was transfixed.

When the images stopped, he passed out. The sound of Sylvia climbing the stairs woke him and he knew he had to get out of there. Going back the way he came was out, same for going out the door of the room to the hallway, he’d be seen. He didn’t even have time to grab his jeans, shoes, and socks before opening the window and climbing out onto the roof. It was just his luck that there was a tree growing alongside the garage he was able to use to get down from the roof. Smiling awkwardly to the neighbors who had noticed his escape, he quickly made his way back to his house, thankful that it seemed that the shower was over, and everyone had gone.

When he finally got to his house, the door flew open revealing Sarah who stood, taking in his appearance. “Sarah, you are not going to believe what just happened!”

It only took a moment for Sarah to register his state of dress, or rather, undress, and the fact half the cul-de-sac was watching them. She gave him a look that was a mix of shock, hurt, and sadness as she slapped him across the face, turned on her heel, and slammed the door, locking it behind her. Chuck didn’t know what to do until the door swung open again only to have a gym bag thrown at him, which he caught clumsily, and the spare set of keys hit him in the face.

“I hope it was worth it,” Sarah shook her head at him, “I hope the couch in your office is comfortable, because you aren’t sleeping here anymore.”

“Sarah, nothing happened,” Chuck protested.

“I wish I could believe you,” She gave him a dejected look, her voice breaking as tears pooled in her eyes. She lifted a hand to her face as if to quell her sobs before running back into the house and shutting the door in his face once more.

Chuck stood there for a moment, not sure how everything had escalated so quickly. With a sigh, he walked back to the Prius, started it up and pulled out, driving back to Echo Park. He knew that, for the sake of the cover, he’d have to stay away at least for the night, which meant sleeping back at his real place and seeing if he could get Sarah to ‘take him back’ in the morning.

Later that evening, Sarah came by the Echo Park Condo so they could conference the General, who had taken operational control of this particular mission. Before a word was said, Chuck, now dressed in his most comfortable pair of jeans and favorite Stanford t-shirt, pulled her into him whispering apologies and admonitions of love in her ear.

“Baby, I am so sorry,” He sighed, “I swear to you nothing happened, she’d managed to get my pants and shoes off before I could distract her.”

“I know,” She whispered back, “I trust you.”

“I love you so much,” Chuck pressed a kiss to her temple before meeting her eyes, he used his thumbs to wipe away the stray tears that had escaped and were trying to run down her cheeks, “I hate that I had to do that.”

“I hate it too,” Sarah nodded, “I knew it wasn’t real, but when I saw you… it still hurt. I love you so much and this whole mission has felt so real, and then today… even though I knew you wouldn’t…”

“Shh, Baby, it’s over now,” Chuck pulled her close again, letting her cry it out as he stroked her hair soothingly. A few moment’s later, she was able to compose herself.

“I’m going to go clean up a bit,” She told him, heading down the hall, “I don’t want Beckman seeing me like this.”

“Sarah?” Chuck called after her, “Are we going to be okay?”

“Yeah,” She gave him a small smile, “We’ll be okay.”

A half an hour later they were standing in the living room, giving their briefing to the General. The screen was split with Beckman on one side and Casey on the other from whatever living quarters the NSA had secured him. Beckman did not look happy, “So, let me get this straight,” She looked over the report on her desk, “You exposed your operation to an entire cul-de-sac of civilians?”

“There’s no excuse, General,” Casey spoke up, “We humped it.”

“No, we didn’t,” Chuck protested, “True it didn’t exactly go as planned, but I was able to access the computer in Sylvia and Cliff’s house. It had pictures.”

“Oh, pictures,” The General gave him an unimpressed look, “Why didn’t you just say so?”

“No, not just regular pictures,” Chuck insisted, “They were like intersect images, like the encoded images Bryce sent me last year, only very different.”

“It might be possible that Agent Carmichael has Fulcrum programming in his brain,” Sarah added.

“Fine,” The General huffed, “Agent Carmichael, I am pulling you from this mission until you can be evaluated, Walker and Casey, you will keep monitoring the cul-de-sac, see if you can find anything else. I also think it’s time you evacuated your daughter.”

“It’s already been done, Ma’am,” Sarah nodded, “She’s at my mother’s until we can get this sorted out.”

“Very well,” Beckman nodded, “I need you to find out everything you can before we make a move on the Fulcrum cell. The Danvers are getting a divorce.”

Once the feed was cut, Chuck and Sarah relaxed on the couch for a little bit before it was time for Sarah to return to the cul-de-sac.

“I don’t want you to go,” Chuck protested sadly.

“I know,” Sarah gave him a soft kiss as he walked he to the door, “I don’t want to go either, but look at it this way, the soon I get back there, the sooner I can find something, the sooner I can come home.”

“I know,” Chuck nodded, pressing his forehead to hers, “It’s going to be hard sleeping without you until this is over. Please finish up so we can get back to being a family again.” He ran his thumb absent mindedly over her wedding set.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” Sarah promised.

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” He pulled her into a deep kiss before letting her go. He watched her as she crossed the courtyard, pausing at the archway to wave at him before disappearing into the night.


	30. Chapter 30

The morning had not started great for Chuck; he had awoken to find Sarah’s side of the bed cold and empty. Even though he knew why and where she was, he couldn’t help the feeling of loneliness that washed over him. He’d slowly gotten to his feet and headed toward the kitchen for coffee, only to pause at Molly’s bedroom door, which had been left open since the girl was with her grandmother, for her safety, until the mission could be completed. The house felt so empty, barren, without his girls there with him. He swore he could hear his soft footsteps echoing loudly in the quiet. The process of starting his day, from brewing his coffee to consuming his cereal, even showering and getting dressed had been done in silence. He couldn’t help but wonder how he’d lived alone in the condo for as long as he had before Sarah and Molly came into his life. 

Needing to escape the silence of his condo, he pulled on his jacket, grabbed his keys, cell phone, and wallet, and headed out the door to his Matrix that was parked next to the Prius he hadn’t yet returned to the motor pool. It didn’t take long to make the short trip to the office, which was quiet this early on a Sunday morning, but not deafeningly so as the condo had been. He threw his keys, phone and wallet on the desk as he booted up his computer and noticed a small slip of paper flutter to the ground. Picking it up, he recognized the note that Brad had given him, containing the other man’s contact information ‘for any insurance needs he might have.’ Opening it up revealed the header for the Meadow Branch Homeowners’ Association, the logo, a white silhouette of an oak tree against a maroon circle, the moment the image registered in his brain, he began to flash. It seemed like any other flashes he’d had in the past, but different, it felt darker somehow, and almost seemed like the information was tinted or red-rimmed, if that made any sense. 

“Oh my God, Sarah!” Chuck gasped, realizing that it wasn’t just Sylvia and Cliff that were Fulcrum, but the whole cul-de-sac, if not the neighborhood. Not even bothering to shut down his computer, he shoved his wallet into his back pocket as he frantically dialed Sarah’s phone while running back to the parking garage to get his car. “Sarah, Baby, you’re in danger,” He spoke quickly when her voicemail picked up, “The whole cul-de-sac is Fulcrum! I’m on my way to you right now, if you can safely extract yourself and whomever is on watch right now, do it, otherwise please find a safe place to be until I can get there. I love you.” 

The tires of his Matrix squealed as he tore out of the parking garage and sped toward the highway. Pulling down his visor to make sure that his ‘get out of jail free pass,’ otherwise known as his CIA Agent Identification wallet was still hidden there. He hoped he wouldn’t have to use it as even the few moments it would take to pull over, show his badge, and explain that he was dealing with a matter of national security, would take too long. Thankful the techs had made improvements on the vehicle, he was soon traveling along the I-5, weaving through the minimal morning traffic at speeds bordering 120mph. 

~~~~~~~~ 

Casey had just arrived back at the cul-de-sac in the surveillance van, which had been marked with the logo of a local cable provider, after hitting the head at the local market and had parked near one of the houses across from the Danvers’ home. He was consulting his paperwork when he heard a tap on his window. Turning, he saw the man who Chuck had befriended over the course of the mission, he rolled down the window to see what the man needed. Once the window was down the neighbor pointed at a house down the street complaining about possible electrical interference coming from the unit. The moment Casey turned away, he felt the distinct tingle of 50,000 volts running through his system, knocking him out. When he awoke, he found himself seated in a chair in a detainment cell, his hands cuffed behind him. 

~~~~~~~~ 

Sarah had been  tense  all day, a combination of anticipation of wrapping up the mission as quickly as they could, trepidation over their recent findings, and frustration over being separated from Molly and Chuck, who had proven to be a calming force in her life since the day they teamed up. She was in the kitchen making lunch when she heard a knock on her front door. Checking the peephole, she saw one of their neighbors holding a casserole. Tucking her Smith & Wesson 5906 into the waistband of her skirt, leaving one hand resting lightly on the handle, she slowly opened the door to the woman. 

“We heard what happened,” The woman gave her a sympathetic smile as she held out the casserole in her hands, “It’s times like this you need to lean on your friends and neighbors.” 

Sarah barely registered the sound of her back door opening and soft footsteps approaching her from behind, before she felt her arm being grabbed as she was spun around. She found herself face-to-face with the woman that had attempted to seduce Chuck. Sylvia had a gun held on her, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. Sarah heard the sound of a casserole dish hitting the floor a split second before she felt herself relieved of her gun. 

“I have to say, you’re good,” Sylvia commented as the women led Sarah across the cul-de-sac to Sylvia’s house where the entrance to their underground base was located, “You almost had us fooled until your partner started snooping around. The kid was a nice touch.” 

Sarah refused to speak as she was dragged along, she spotted the van that Casey had been using as surveillance, but it was suspiciously empty. _Oh, this isn’t good,_ she thought to herself. She could feel her cell phone vibrating in the pocket of her skirt but was unable to answer the call. 

~~~~~~~~ 

Chuck was nearly in a blind panic as he pulled the Matrix into the driveway of the Danvers’ house. He’d noticed the empty surveillance van when he pulled in, and Sarah’s SUV was still in the driveway. He didn’t even bother closing the door of the car as he sprinted to the front door, praying that Sarah was still inside and just hadn’t heard her phone. As he turned the corner around the garage and headed to the front step, he saw Brad step in front of him, the flash hit him instantaneously; images of Brad in a service uniform with his non-cover name attached with ‘dishonorable discharge’ stamped across in red letters, orders attaching him to CIA  Psy  -Ops and experimental programs, and documents linking him to Fulcrum, the cover organization that paid for the houses in the neighborhood, and other Fulcrum covers. 

“Hey there, Charlie!” The man greeted him jovially, “If your looking for the wife, she’s having a little chat with the ladies.” 

Chuck slowly turned, taking in the neighborhood around him, every single one of his neighbors were in the Fulcrum intersect test program he’d downloaded. All former special ops, CIA Psy-Ops, and specialists who had been dishonorably discharged, black-listed, reported missing or K.I.A. Before he could turn back, he felt the jolt of electricity surge through him as Brad hit him with his stun gun. 

As Chuck started to come to, he heard voices discussing is vitals first, next was that his wrists, ankles, and head were all in restraints. It took a moment for his vision to clear, but once it did, he was able to identify Sylvia, Cliff, and one other neighbor standing in front of him. “Sarah?” He called out, eyes searching his immediate area as much as he could without the ability to move his head. “Sarah?! Where’s Sarah? Where’s my wife?!” 

“Mr. Danvers,” Sylvia tutted, “I think we both know she isn’t really your wife. She’s a CIA agent, just like you are.” 

Chuck finally spotted Sarah on the side of the lab near a bank of hard drives, bound by her wrists and ankles to a chair and being guarded by two of the neighbors. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Chuck insisted, “I’m not a CIA agent, I’m just a computer guy!” 

“Oh, come now, Mr. Danvers,” Sylvia shook her head with fake sympathy, “You can drop the pretense now, we all know who you really work for.” 

“What do you want with me?” Chuck demanded. 

“You have a very special brain, Mr. Danvers.” Brad spoke up, stethoscope in his ears, checking Chuck’s heart rate and breathing, “We are going to do our very best to not harm it.” 

“’Harm?’” Chuck’s eyes went wide, “What do you mean ‘harm?!’” 

“The program you saw upstairs is just a small part of a larger program,” Sylvia provided, starting her final checks. “I’m sure you’ve heard of Project Omaha, the program that was designed to download information into an operative’s brain. Sadly, the CIA scrubbed the project, deemed it ‘too dangerous.’” 

“But we’ve found a way to make it work,” Brad grinned, “We are building an army of super soldiers who will be able to help us make America great again, we just need to find the perfect subjects. You are one such subject; the first, in fact, who was able to download the data without any negative effects.” 

“What we are going to do is give you the full download,” Sylvia picked up the narrative again, “Then monitor how your brain processes the data, that way we can fix the glitches we’ve been experiencing lately.” 

“What about my wife?” Chuck asked, his eyes drifting to Sarah, “I’ll do whatever you want, but you have to let Sarah go free.” 

“Wait,” Sylvia gave him a disbelieving look, “Oh this is too good, you actually have feelings for your partner, don’t you?” 

“You really let her get under your skin, didn’t you?” Brad chuckled. 

“Let me guess,” Sylvia scoffed, “She told you that one day, you two would get away from the company, get married? Maybe even let you knock her up a couple times so you wouldn’t have to use that little blonde stand-in you two have been toting around, live the normal life, maybe in a quaint neighborhood like this one. Please don’t tell me you fell for that! Her feelings for you aren’t real, Danvers! You’ve got to know that.” 

“Don’t worry, Charlie,” Brad gave him a fake-reassuring look, “Once we’re done, you’ll get over her.” The portly man opened Chuck’s eyes wide, using a couple speculums to keep his eyes open for the download before turning to his cohorts, “That’s if he survives the download.” 

Chuck could see Sarah struggling to free herself and heard her call out his name as plate glass screens descended around him. The Fulcrum agents all gathered around Cliff who was at a computer console, typing in commands. When he gave the nod that he was ready, the Fulcrum agents put on their dark, polarized glasses, and slipped a pair over Sarah’s eyes as well. Cliff pressed a button and suddenly a series of intersect images began to play across the screens. Chuck’s eyes began to dart back and forth as the influx of information was taken in and painfully implanted into his brain. What seemed to be hours later, but was only a few minutes at most, the images, and pain ceased. 

Brad and Sylvia once again approached Chuck cautiously. They both tried speaking to him but received no response from him. Brad was about to declare the experiment a failure when Chuck screamed. 

“He survived!” Sylvia gasped in amazement, looking at the other Fulcrum agents surrounding her before turning her attention back to Chuck, who Brad was releasing from his restraints. “Mr. Danvers, do you know where you are?” 

“In an underground Fulcrum lab located under a cul-de-sac in the Meadow Branch neighborhood.” Chuck reported flatly. 

“And do you know the purpose of this lab?” Sylvia inquired. 

“To revive the Intersect initiative,” Chuck relayed. 

“My God,” Brad grinned, “It actually worked!” 

“One more thing, Mr. Danvers,” Sylvia crossed her arms, “Do you mind if we test your wife next?” 

“My wife? I don’t mind,” Chuck replied, eyes drifting to Sarah, hoping that she could read in his eyes that he had a plan. “More for the cause.” 

What the Fulcrum agents didn’t know was that when they had surrounded him after the download was run, he’d noticed Casey, who had managed to break his thumb and free himself of his handcuffs before escaping his cell, enter quietly. Sarah gave him a questioning look as he was pulled up from the chair and she was shoved into it and secured by her wrists and feet. “Before you do anything else, I’d like to have a word with Agent Walker.” 

“Agent Walker?” Sylvia parroted, “Thank you, now we have a name!” 

Chuck saw Casey give him a small nod as he set up the program to run again, just as he saw Casey slide on the polarized glasses, he turned back to Sarah and leaned down. “Close your eyes, Baby,” He whispered, the lights went low and he could see the flickering of images reflecting against the wall as he pulled Sarah into his shoulder, protecting her eyes from the stream of data. 

They could hear the screams of the Fulcrum agents as the program fried their brains, causing them to collapse. Killing most, if not all, of them and incapacitating the rest. As soon as the lights came back up again, Chuck released Sarah and pulled her to her feet, “Are you okay?” He grasped her head in his hands feeling her nod quickly before he pressed his lips to hers, part affirmation that they had survived, part promise to continue to protect her. 

“I’m fine,” She promised, rising up on her toes once more to kiss him, her arms wrapping around his neck as his wound around her waist, pulling her closer. 

“Somebody call the cable guy?” They heard Casey ask as he entered the intersect room, causing them to roll their eyes in amusement at his insistence over using one-liners when fighting the bad guys. “I called the clean-up crew,” He informed them, “I’ll wait here for them, why don’t you two go get your kid and spend the rest of the day with her. You earned it.” 

“Thank you, Casey,” Chuck nodded, taking Sarah’s hand in his and leading her out of the base and back to the Danvers’ home. As they walked up the driveway Chuck turned to her, “So do you want to pick up Molly and bring her back here or just take her home?” 

“I just want to go home,” Sarah sighed, “But can we pack up Molly’s things first?” 

“Yeah, we should pack up her stuff and then go get her,” Chuck nodded, “The cleaners can take care of the rest.” 

It didn’t take long to empty the drawer and closet of Molly’s things as they threw her clothing and toys into boxes, not much paying attention to what was in which box in their hurry to get home. In less than 45 minutes they’d packed up and loaded the boxes in the back of the SUV and Matrix as they caravanned back to Burbank. They tossed the boxes into the corner of Molly’s room with every intention of unpacking later before heading back to Chuck’s Matrix and driving to Emma’s house to pick up Molly. 

Emma said nothing, giving the haggard young parents a small smile as she let them into her home where Sarah promptly picked up Molly, nuzzling her close to her breast as Chuck wrapped his arms around them both. She could feel the tension that had been radiating off their bodies slowly fade as they held their daughter once again. 

“Mom,” Sarah gave her mom a grateful smile as they began their exit, “Thank you so much for your help.” 

“I take it it’s over?” Emma looked between the two, Sarah with Molly in her arms and Chuck doing an impressive imitation of a pack mule as he shouldered Molly’s overnight bag, diaper bag, and pack’n’play carrier. 

“It’s over,” Chuck nodded, “We are going home.” 

“You can’t keep the house?” Emma asked. 

“We haven’t decided yet, Mom,” Sarah shook her head, “So much went on there, and it’s going to take time to sanitize the neighborhood, make sure we get everyone there that was part of the cell we were after.” 

“Do you want to?” 

“We don’t know,” Sarah shrugged, “We’re too tired to think about it right now.” 

“Emma,” Chuck broke in, “I’m going to take these two home. We are in desperate need of family time, cuddles with Molly, and rest. Thank you again for taking care of Molly for us.” He kissed Emma on the cheek and headed out to the car while Sarah said her goodbyes, exchanging hugs and a kiss with her mom before joining Chuck at the car and strapping Molly into her car seat. 

The drive back to the condo was done in near silence, the only sound was Molly’s soft snores from the back seat as they drove down the highway. Chuck gently reached over and took Sarah’s hand in his, squeezing it as he had so many times before in a gesture signifying the support and love he had for her. She gave him a soft smile and leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes, letting the feel of his thumb rubbing small circles over her hand sooth away any remaining tension she harbored. 


	31. Chapter 31

Nearly a month had passed since their time in Meadow Branch and it seemed life was going on as normal, or at least as normal as it could after what had happened. If anything, it had cemented in Chuck’s mind what he wanted, and he knew he didn’t want to wait any longer to have it. With that in mind, he made his way over to his sister’s house and knocked on the door. He knew she was home as he’s seen her just return from the grocery store a half hour before.

“Chuck?” Ellie greeted him, confusion on her face, “What are you doing here?”

“Do I need a reason to visit my sister?” Chuck asked, shrugging when his sister gave him a knowing look, “Okay, I have a reason. Can I come in?”

“Sure, I just put Clara down and Devon has a procedure, so I have a little time,” Ellie stood aside, opening the door wider to allow him space to pass, “Would you like something to drink?”

“No, I’m good,” Chuck wiped his hands on his jeans as he took a seat on the couch.

“Oh, it’s one of those kinds of talks,” She sighed, sensing his mood as she settled on the couch beside him and turned to face him, “So, what’s up?”

“Well, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately and I’ve come to a few conclusions,” Chuck started, fidgeting with his hands until Ellie reached over and placed a calming hand over his to still the movement. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” She nodded, “What have you been thinking about?”

“Life, mostly,” Chuck shrugged, “What I want out of it, and who I want… in it.”

“I’m with you so far,” Ellie smiled up at him, anticipating where this conversation was going and trying to not let her excitement overwhelm the conversation. “Does this have anything to do with what happened earlier this year?”

“A little,” He nodded, “It did serve as a catalyst to move up the timeline a bit. I’m thinking about proposing to Sarah. I just don’t know if it’s too soon; you know? I mean, am I crazy? We haven’t been together a year yet. You and Awesome were together years before he popped the question.”

“Sweetie,” Ellie grinned, but tried to keep her voice as calm as possible, “You and Sarah are not me and Devon, our situations are very different. We were still in school when we met, you and Sarah are established in your careers, and you have Molly to think about too. From the moment you met, your relationship has seemed to be on the fast track. Which isn’t a bad thing either, you recognize what you need and want in each other and have known it from the start. Anyone can see it, hell, I even saw it the first day I met her, it kinda scared me, which is probably why I reacted the way that I did. I can’t apologize enough for that.”

“No apology needed, Sis,” Chuck assured her, “So, you are okay with bringing Sarah into our family? You do know that means I’ll be adopting Molly.”

“Well, that’s a given,” Ellie smiled, “So, when are you going to do it?”

“Soon,” Chuck nodded, pulling a small box out of his pocket and handing it over to Ellie who opened it to reveal the wedding set he and Sarah had worn as the Danvers, “I mean we already have the rings, might as well make it official.”

“Chuck, I thought you had to give back everything from the mission,” Ellie gave him a confused look.

“Well, everything that doesn’t belong to us,” He shrugged, “I bought those a few months before the mission was assigned to us. I saw them when I bought Sarah’s necklace for Christmas and just had to get them. I borrowed one of her rings to get the size right and was trying to figure out a way to propose when the op came down the line.”

“This is big, little brother,” Ellie beamed, “I’m really happy for the both of you or really, all three of you.”

“Thank you,” Chuck smiled, “I just need to figure out my proposal plan.”

Ellie groaned, “Chuck, you don’t need a proposal plan. I know you and Morgan spent a long time figuring out one when you were like twelve, but you don’t need a DeLorean or a white horse, or whatever other nonsense you’d planned back then. Trust me, when proposing, all you need to remember is KISS.”

“The kiss?” Chuck arched an eyebrow, “Well I assumed if she said yes there would be one.”

“No, K.I.S.S. keep it simple stupid,” Ellie chuckled, “Sarah’s a simple woman, a simple proposal will do just fine. Devon took me back to the first place we met when he popped the question. I know you met on a plane, but maybe your second meeting or take her someplace that’s special to the both of you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Chuck nodded, “I assume you are okay holding onto the rings until I’m ready for them?”

“Of course,” Ellie smiled.

“Which brings me to the last thing I want to talk to you about,” Chuck took a calming breath, not knowing how his sister would take the rest of his news, “I’m looking for Mom and Dad.”

Ellie stared at him for a moment before speaking, “I’m sorry, you’re what?”

“I’m looking for Mom and Dad,” Chuck repeated, “I’m sorry I didn’t think to do this or ask if you wanted me to when you got married. But I think it’s important that they at least know they are grandparents.”

“Chuck,” Ellie sighed, “How do we know they even want to be found? Mom left so long ago and then Dad... I mean we got a few Christmas and Birthday cards, but after that, nothing. For all we know they could be dead.”

“I’ll never know until I try,” Chuck shrugged, “But I’m pretty sure they’re not dead, it doesn’t feel like they are. What if they had no choice but to leave and then after so long it was just too hard to come back? Maybe it would help to know we are still open to having them in our lives?”

“I don’t know Chuck,” Ellie shook her head. She was silent a few moments more, “I guess if you find them, I’d be willing to meet with them, at least long enough to ask why they felt it was necessary to leave us. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up, or mine, or put our lives on hold because of them.”

“Ellie, I’m just looking for now,” Chuck assured her, “If I can find them before the wedding, I would love for them to be there, but I’m not going to make their presence, or lake thereof, be a factor in when I get married, or adopt Molly, or expand my family.”

“Are you and Sarah...” Ellie’s eyes lit up.

“Whoa there, Elle,” Chuck put up his hands, “Calm down, we’ve discussed it in the ‘sometime in the vague future’ kind of way, especially considering the events surrounding Molly’s birthday party. We have no immediate plans, but we do agree that we would like to try to have at least one together someday.”

“Someday,” Ellie grinned, “I can work with that.”

Chuck rolled his eyes at her barely contained enthusiasm. “How are you and Awesome doing on the baby-making front?” He teased.

“Okay, point taken,” She huffed, “I’m just really excited for you both.”

“Just don’t vibrate yourself through the couch,” He smirked, and stood, “I’ll let you know when I need the rings back.”

“I’ll keep them safe until you need them,” Ellie promised, rising to her feet and wrapping her younger brother in a vice-like hug, “I love you little brother.”

“I love you too, Elle,” Chuck returned his sister’s embrace, “Do you want me to keep you updated on the parent search or just let you know if I find them?”

“Unless I ask, don’t tell me anything unless you find them,” Ellie gave him a small smile, “I don’t want to get my hopes up for something that might not ever happen.”

“I can understand that,” Chuck nodded, “I have to get going, I promised Kevin I’d help him get some furniture put together before the baby comes.”

Ellie nodded as she stood to walk her brother to the door, “I’m really happy for you, Chuck,” She wrapped him in a hug, “Good luck with everything.”

“Thanks, Elle,” He smiled down at her, “I love you.”

“I love to too,” She watched as he made his way out of the courtyard and toward the archway that led to the resident parking area. She closed the door and sat at the couch, opening he box once more the look at the rings inside, grinning as she allowed herself to daydream about the day they would sit on the fingers of her brother and the woman who was rapidly becoming one of her best friends. Closing the clamshell box once more, she slipped the box into her purse so she could put it in their safe deposit box once Devon got home.

~~~~~~~~~

The trip to Josie and Kevin’s to put together their son’s crib and other furniture didn’t take very long now that Chuck was an old hand at it after helping in putting together Clara and Molly’s furniture sets. Two hours later had him sitting in a familiar driveway staring at the house before him. With a calming breath, he opened his car door and made his way up the pathway. He was halfway up the front steps when the door swung open and the lady of the house leaned against the frame, arms crossed in front of her, a look on her face that was a mix of knowing, amusement, love and many other emotions this man evoked in her and the rest of their family.

“I was starting to wonder if this day was ever going to come,” She smirked at him, nodding toward the living room as he stepped into the entry way, “Go take a seat, I’m going to get us some lemonade.”

“Alright,” He nodded and did as he was instructed. He repeated the motions of running his palms down the front of his jean covered lap and fidgeting with his fingers as he waited for his hostess to return with their drinks. Thankfully, she didn’t take long to return to the living room, glasses in hand.

Handing one of the glasses to Chuck, she took her seat next to him, allowing him a few feet of space, long enough for them to have enough room to turn and mostly face each other but not so far away as to be impersonal. “So, to what do I owe this impromptu visit?” She asked, trying to not let her face give away that she knew what was coming.

“Mrs. Novak, Emma, I wanted to come here and state my intentions for Sarah’s and my relationship,” Chuck started, “And how Molly fits in. I know that this is old fashioned, but my sister raised me to respect traditions. While I know Sarah and I are far from traditional in most every sense of the word, I feel it’s important to honor certain traditions. Since her father hasn’t been a part of her life since he was incarcerated ten years ago, I have come to you. Emma, I love your daughter and granddaughter and with your blessing, I would like the three of us to become a family.”

“You already are,” Emma answered honestly, a grin spreading across her face.

“Very true,” Chuck nodded, “However I meant in the permanent, legal sense where we share everything from a name to finances to all areas of our lives, including the guardianship of one of the most wonderful and loveable little girls. Emma, may I have your blessing to ask Sarah to be my wife and adopt Molly?”

“Well, I think you would need to ask Sarah for her permission an blessing to adopt Molly,” Emma teased, Chuck shot her an unamused look, “But as far as asking Sarah to be your wife, you know you have my blessing, you didn’t even need to ask. I already consider you my son, all that’s changing is that there will be legal documentation supporting that now.”

“Thank you,” Chuck let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Emma reached out and squeezed his hands in hers, the motherly gesture warming him from the point of contact and radiating through his body.

“There is one thing I require, though,” Emma gave him a small smile.

“What’s that?” Chuck looked over, nervously.

“Give your favorite mother-in-law a hug,” She grinned as he rose, offered his hand to assist her to her feet and wrapped her in a gentle embrace, “Chuck, I want you to know that I love you just as much as I would if I’d birthed you myself. Although that would have made this whole situation more than a little awkward if that had been the case,” She teased, “I know your parents haven’t been a part of your life for a long time, I just want to remind you, if you ever need parental support, love, whatever, my door is open to you, always. I love you, son.”

“I know,” He pressed a kiss to her cheek before stepping back and releasing her from his embrace, “I love you too, Mom.”

He couldn’t help but grin widely as he watched the smile on Emma’s face, so much like that of her daughter’s, spread across her face. An understanding passed between them before he kissed her on the cheek once more and bounded down the stairs, his legs taking two steps at a time as he made his way back to the Matrix. He turned and gave her a waive before ducking into the vehicle and backing out of the drive to head back home.

~~~~~~~~

“So, Carmichael, you’re gonna make Walker an honest woman?” Chuck looked up to see Casey in the door frame of his office the Friday after his talks with Ellie and Emma.

“God, Casey, say it a little louder, would ya?” Chuck huffed, straining his neck to make sure Sarah wasn’t in close proximity to the conversation, “Not that it’s any of your business, but yes, I am planning on proposing.”

“Can I give you some advice?” The older man inquired, waiting until Chuck nodded his head. Casey entered, closing the door behind him and took a seat across from Chuck, “You don’t need some fancy plan or make it a huge thing. I was engaged once, to Alex’s mom, but you know what happened with that. I had this whole big plan to propose to Kathleen, take her to Niagara Falls, propose to her on the bridge right on the national line. Unfortunately, the shuttle from Buffalo was inopped so I wound up proposing at a bus station in Buffalo.”

“Is there a point to this little story?” Chuck raised an eyebrow, “I’m a little busy here.”

“Don’t be a smartass,” The older man chided him, “The point is, you don’t need some over-the top production. All you need is the girl.”

“I’ll take your suggestion under advisement,” Chuck nodded, “No, seriously, I will. You’re not the only one who has told me to keep the proposal simple.” He added when Casey gave him a perturbed look. “Is there anything else?”

“Keep it under the radar until everything is said and done,” Casey shrugged, “Nothing much they can do once you’re hitched. When it comes to the muckity mucks for you Spooks, it’s better to seek forgiveness than permission for this kind of stuff.”

“You may have a point,” Chuck nodded, “That’s probably why there aren’t many married CIA agent couples. Sarah and I could only think of the Turners, there have to be others out there somewhere.”

“I heard whispers some years ago about another spook couple, but it was really hush-hush,” Casey gave a half shrug, “Husband was some kinda tech genius and the wife was supposedly one of the best female spooks ever to come out of the Farm, until Walker, that is. Ice water in her veins, terminator level…”

“Wait, you know Terminator?” Chuck’s eyebrows shot up.

“What?” Casey challenged, “I wasn’t hatched. Plus, the chick who played Sarah Connor was one fine-looking woman.”

Chuck couldn’t help but shutter at the thought. He was familiar with the series, his dad allowed him to finally watch them after he’d turned 13, and the heroine always reminded him of someone, although he could never quite put his finger on who.

“Who were they?” Chuck inquired, “Why hasn’t anyone heard of them?”

“The wife fell off the grid a little while after I joined the NSA,” Casey furrowed his brow, “I think her husband disappeared sometime after that. No one really knows why. No one ever really knew their real name; you know how that is. Wife’s code was some analogy regarding how focused, almost cold, she was when on a mission. Her husband’s team all had astrological terms for their code names, but I don’t recall which he was.”

Chuck nodded in understanding, “I know you haven’t said anything to date, but I have to ask. If Agent Walker and I do this, is it going to be a problem?”

“Look, kid,” Casey grunted, “I don’t care what or who any of you do off the clock. Like I told you before, unless whatever it is you have going on interferes with the job, I don’t give a good gorram about it. That being said, Walker is a good woman. You’re damn lucky she puts up with you.”

“I know it well,” Chuck nodded, “Thanks Casey.”

“Don’t mention it,” The Marine stood, “Seriously, you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will wring your scrawny neck, courts marshal be damned.”

“Understood,” Chuck gave a curt nod. He knew that Casey was all bluster, that he really cared, but he wasn’t about to let him know that he knew. “Thanks for the talk, I’ll see you next week.”


	32. Chapter 32

“Dada, dada!” Molly giggled as she ran, butt naked into her parent’s room. She had taken her first shaky steps a few weeks ago and had been running ever since. Sarah was close on her tail, pajamas in one hand, diaper in the other, and towel pinched between the thumb and forefinger of each hand as she tried to capture the renegade toddler.

“Hey, Sweet Pea,” Chuck grinned down at the adorable little girl and ran his fingers through her wet curls, causing them to stick up every which-way. Molly lifted her arms demanding for her father to pick her up, he saw Sarah roll her eyes as she handed him the towel in her hands. He gave her a small shrug as he wrapped the little girl up in the towel and lifted her into his lap, running the soft terrycloth over the girl’s damp hair and body as he typed with one hand.

Molly looked up at her father with an inquisitive look as she pointed to the screen of his desk top computer then moved her hands like crab claws with her fingertips pointed up at and odd angle. Chuck grinned, “What am I doing?” He watched as the little girl nodded vigorously, her curls bouncing with the movement. “I’m telling my computer to look for my dad, your grandpa.”

“Gampa?” Molly tried out the word.

“That’s right,” He nodded, adjusting her in his lap so she rested against his chest, his t-shirt growing damp where her head rested against him, as he continued to type in the commands required to proceed with his search.

“Does Ellie know?” Sarah asked from where she now sat on the bed watching the interaction between father and daughter.

“Yeah, we discussed it when you and I got back from Meadow Branch a couple months ago,” Chuck shrugged, still typing as Molly sat transfixed on the characters that flew across the screen. She’d been sitting and watching her daddy work since she was small and had learned to not touch. The soft clacking of the keys and the steady rhythm of her father’s heart soon became her lullaby, soothing her into a drowsy state.

“Is she okay with it?” Sarah pressed.

“I wouldn’t exactly say okay,” Chuck hedged, “She said that she wasn’t going to stop me from searching but would rather not know anything unless I find Dad or Mom. She doesn’t want to get her hopes up unnecessarily.”

“I can understand that,” Sarah nodded as she watched Molly’s head begin to droop, “I think she’s about out. Do you want me to take her?”

Chuck looked down at the drowsy little girl in his lap and hit a few more keystrokes before pushing back from his desk, the wheels of his office chair moving silently under him. “Nah, I got it,” He lifted the girl into a cradle hold and walked her over to the bed, laying her down next to Sarah. He unwrapped the blanket from around her small form and quickly diapered and dressed her before picking her up once more. Molly’s eyes opened, blinking slowly as she fought sleep. “There are those pretty blue eyes,” Chuck cooed as he leaned her over to be kissed by Sarah, “I’m going to go put her to sleep.”

Sarah nodded and watched as Chuck exited the room and went down the hall to Molly’s room. She turned on the monitor just in time to hear Chuck’s warm voice begin to sing soft and low to the little girl. She wasn’t looking at the screen as she changed from the jeans and blouse she’d worn around the house that day into her nightgown, the blue one that matched her eyes and never failed to render Chuck mute. A simile graced her lips as she could imagine Chuck softly pacing the room as he sang to their daughter to sooth her into slumber. She sat on the side of the bed, rubbing lotion into the skin of her arms and legs as she listened. It took her a moment to place the song, it wasn’t one he’d used before to lull Molly to sleep, but it had been Sarah’s favorite growing up. She even remembered her own father singing it to her in the car when it came on the radio when they were driving from gig to gig.

“…_I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind, if I put down in words…”_ She heard Chuck’s soft voice through the speaker, the simple lyrics sending shivers down her back as he sang Molly to sleep, his voice growing softer and softer until it was nearly a whisper. Sarah turned to look at the monitor and watched as Chuck slowly leaned over the rail and placed Molly in her crib, kissing her cheek, and covering her with the purple and grey blanket she’d had since their small family’s humble beginning. The love that she had for this man and their daughter welled up inside of her, causing her eyes to mist over.

Sarah could hear Chuck’s footsteps as he came back down the hall and turned her back, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. She really should have known better than to even try and hide what she was feeling from him. He always knew when she was getting overwhelmed, it was like a sixth sense of his. She sensed him before he even touched her, his mere presence sending thrills up her spine. She felt his hand on her upper arm, spinning her towards her as his other arm wrapped around her waist until she was in his arms.

He wiped way the unshed tears from her eyes with his thumb as he started to sway to a song in his head. Pulling her closer until her head rested on his shoulder, he started to hum the melody once more. Sarah smiled as the humming started to fade into soft singing as Chuck began to serenade her with the same song he’d just used to put their daughter to sleep, although the underlying meaning had changed from loving father doting on his daughter to a man expressing how deeply in love he was with the woman in his arms.

As Chuck continued to dance slowly with Sarah in their bedroom, the advice he’d gotten from his sister, and later Casey, came back to him. Although he and Morgan had sat down just a few days before and planned out an elaborate proposal plan, it occurred to him the simple, quiet moments were really what made their relationship. Thanking whatever Gods of foreshadowing there may have been watching over him that he and Awesome had gotten the ring while Sarah and Ellie had taken the girls to the park, he continued to sing to the woman he loved more than himself. The reassuring weight of the small box present in his right pocket.

As he reached the ending of the song, he slowly stepped back from Sarah, keeping her hands gently in his own, “…_I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words,_” He lowered himself to his knee in front of her, “_How wonderful my life is, now you’re in the world._” He heard Sarah let out a small gasp as he released her hand to retrieve the box from his pocket.

“I know this is incredibly cheesy,” Chuck gave her a shy smile, “And believe me, my original plan was way more involved than this. To be honest Morgan will be very put out that I went over his head.”

“Not hard to do,” Sarah teased, trying to relieve the nerves she saw in his face and felt a flutter in her heart as she looked down at him.

“True,” He chuckled, “Sarah, words cannot express how much you mean to me. When I first met you on that plane ride from Paris, I fell in love with you. While it may not have been love at first sight, I knew by the end of the flight, that there was a connection between us, one I’d never dreamed I could have. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thanked every higher power there might be that you gave me the chance to get to know you, the real you, beneath the mask you wear as Agent Walker. Not that you were Agent Walker in that moment, but I am so grateful that you let your walls down, even just a little bit on that ride.”

“You made it very hard for me to not let you in,” Sarah smiled at the memory, “From the moment you said ‘Just go with it,’ with that adorably confidant smirk on your face, I knew I couldn’t resist you.”

“I know we haven’t been together very long,” Chuck admitted, squeezing her hand in his, “But I would very much like you to, ‘Just go with it,’” His smile widened at Sarah’s grin at the words, “For the rest of our lives, Sarah Lisa Walker, would you do me the great honor of being my wife?”

“Yes,” Sarah gasped out. “Of course, I will marry you. I can’t imagine a better man to be my husband and father to my children.”

“’Children?’” Chuck couldn’t hide the ridiculous grin on his face that was equal parts joy and excitement over the fact she said ‘Yes’ and intended to grow their family.

“At least one or two more,” Sarah nodded.

“It may take me a few tries, but I don’t think that will be a problem,” He smirked cheekily as he took the ring out of its box and placed it on her finger.

“Chuck, is this the...?” Sarah’s eyes widened when she saw the ring on her finger.

“Yes, it is,” He confirmed, rising to his feet once more and wrapping one arm around her waist as he cupped her jaw with his free hand.

“So, you were…” She started.

“Before we were called to Meadow Branch?” Chuck smiled softly at her, “Yeah, I was already trying to figure out a way to ask you. But after the mission, I wanted to give you, and us, time away from that intense situation so the fantasy we had there wouldn’t influence or overshadow the reality.”

“You’re amazing, you know that, right?” Sarah beamed up at him.

“I’ve heard rumors,” He whispered, lowering his lips to hers to seal their engagement with a kiss. He pulled her closer as his hand slid from her cheek to tangle his fingers in her hair, smiling as he heard her moan against his mouth. “Thank you,” He sighed as he slowly pulled away.

“For what?” Sarah asked, dazedly, eyes hazy.

“Making me the happiest man by saying, ‘Yes.’” He grinned.

“You’re welcome,” Sarah rose up on her toes and kissed him deeply before trailing her lips along his jaw until they were cheek to cheek, her hot breath on his cheek making him weak in the knees, “Now let me show you how I say thank you,” She nipped at his earlobe and started to pepper hot kisses along his jaw and down his throat as she eased him back toward the bed, stripping him of his shirt and unbuttoning his jeans as they went.

Chuck felt his knees hit the side of the bed as Sarah pushed him back. He wrapped his arms around her automatically, pulling her down on top of him. They scooted up and over a bit until Chuck’s head rested on his pillows as Sarah straddled his hips. He ran his hands down her sides to her legs, resting his large hands on her outer thighs as she continued her exploration of his upper torso using nothing more than her lips and tongue.

Sarah could feel his thumbs tracing slow circles over her thighs, his hands resting there respectfully until it nearly drove her insane. Just before she snapped, she felt his hands begin their slow ascent up the soft skin of her legs and under her night gown to rest on her hips. She grinned when she saw his eyes grow wide as his hands continued their northbound movement. She could see the surprise and barely contained lust in his eyes as he silently communicated his question.

“The nightgown came with optional panties, I just opted not to wear them,” Sarah gave him a small smile and rocked her pelvis against him slightly, causing his eyes to roll back in his head as he felt the heat radiating from her. She could feel his anticipation as she slid her hands down his well-defined torso to the waistband of his boxers and, waiting for him to raise his hips slightly, bringing them in close contact once more as she slid the soft cotton down his legs.

She crawled back up to her original position and leaned down for a kiss as Chuck divested her of the silky fabric that had until that point had barely covered her. Sarah gasped as he flipped them over until he was hovering over her, letting his eyes, hands, and lips rediscover every part of her. She could barely bite back the groan that threatened to escape her lips when he bent and claimed one of her breasts with his mouth as he massaged the opposite breast, his fingers tracing small, ever tightening circles until he had traced it down to her nipple where his fingers now made quick work of pinching and teasing the sensitive tip found there. When she thought she couldn’t take any more, he released her first breast from his mouth with a resounding pop resulting from the break of suction on the sensitive flesh found there. She arched her back to him as he kissed his way across her chest and claimed her other breast with a soft suckling motion as his tongue teased her nipple which was firmly encased by his hot mouth.

She practically achieved her release by his ministrations alone, and his hands hadn’t ventured any further south than her waist since the moment he’d freed her of her sleep ware. She flipped him over once more, her knees bracketing his hips as she reached into the nightstand and retrieved a packet from the drawer, “I think we should probably get the wedding over with before expanding our family any further, don’t you?” She teased pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

He let out a strangled groan as he felt her slowly roll the condom onto him. “Oh God, whatever you say, Baby,” He agreed, locking his eyes to hers as she lowered herself over him, joining them together once more as they made love long into the night before passing out from exhaustion. After a short nap, they enjoyed another round before he wrapped her up in his arms to get some sleep so they could at least operate as semi-functional adults the next day.

~~~~~~~~~

“Good morning future Mrs. Bartowski,” Chuck hummed in is fiancée’s ear as he pulled her closer to him the next morning.

“Mmm,” Sarah turned in his arms until she faced him and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, “Future Mrs. Bartowski, I like it. How did you sleep?”

“Wonderful,” Chuck smiled down at her, “Especially since the woman of my dreams agreed to marry me last night.”

“Yes, I did, didn’t I?” She grinned, laying her head back down to rest on his shoulder, both reveling in the events of the previous 12 hours. They had both nearly drifted back off to sleep when they heard Molly’s voice over the monitor calling for her Mama. “A mother’s work is never done,” Sarah sighed, sad at the loss of contact, but happily embracing her role as a mom. She slid out of bed, giving Chuck a faux annoyed glare when she caught him checking her out before she could pull her robe on.

Chuck couldn’t keep the smile from his face as he also slid out of bed, pulling on a pair of pajama pants and shuffling off to the kitchen to start the coffee maker. This was the agreement they’d come up with when they were just starting out, whomever put Molly to bed the night before would be responsible for breakfast the next day while the other would take care of her in the morning. He smiled at the fact that Molly seemed to have picked up on this as she always seemed to call for the parent who didn’t put her to bed the night before. She was already showing signs of a high intelligence which thrilled Chuck to no end.

It didn’t take long for Sarah to emerge from the hall, a newly awake Molly in her arms, snuggled into her mother’s neck. “Look what I found,” Sarah sing-songed as she entered the kitchen where Chuck was making up scrambled eggs for all of them.

“Hey there, snuggle bug,” He kissed the little girl’s soft curls before also giving his fiancée a kiss. “Breakfast is almost done, if you want to put her into her chair.”

Sarah nodded and quickly had Molly seated and strapped into her highchair. Chuck entered the dining room two mugs of steaming coffee already doctored the way they liked it and a sippy cup of milk for Molly. He set the mugs and cups in front of their respective place settings before returning, a small, plastic bowl in one hand and a safety spoon in the other as he continued to move the small bit of egg that was in the bowl, blowing on the contents to try to cool it enough to be safe for Molly to eat. He set the bowl on the table, leaving Sarah to continue the process until it was cooled down enough that she was comfortable giving the bowl to their daughter. Just as Sarah was placing the bowl and spoon on Molly’s tray, Chuck returned with two plates piled high with scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit, a bottle of ketchup under his arm.

“You have truly disgusting eating habits,” She rolled her eyes as he set the bottle of ketchup on the table.

“You didn’t seem to have any complaints last night,” Chuck gave her the deadly combo of a wicked grin and the Bartowski eyebrow dance.

“Shut up,” She laughed.

“Give me something better to do with my mouth, then,” He teased.

“Okay,” She leaned closer to him, waiting for him to lean toward her, just before they got close enough to kiss, she shoved a strawberry in his mouth, “That should keep you busy a moment.”

“Tease,” Chuck murmured around the berry, “You’re lucky I love you.”

“I love you too,” She grinned, scooping up a bite of scrambled egg into her mouth.

~~~~~~~~~

To say that Ellie was thrilled with the new development in her brother’s relationship would have been an understatement. When the newly engaged couple told her the following weekend, Chuck made jokes about glass breaking and dogs for miles around howling from high-pitch squeal that escaped his older sister’s mouth. Devon’s response was a little more subdued, a broad smile, a strong hug, and his usual ‘Awesome,’ was upgraded to ‘Very Awesome.’

Ellie had immediately started talking a mile a minute at Sarah at Chuck as she shifted from sister of the groom to party planner mode. She seemed to want to plan out everything at that moment from the engagement party to the wedding and honeymoon. It took her husband and brother both talking her down to calm her and assure her that if and when they needed her services, Chuck and Sarah would ask for it.

Neither Chuck nor Sarah brought up the search that was currently being conducted back at their apartment for the missing Bartowski patriarch. They were secretly hopeful that the search turned up something fruitful, locating at the very least Steven, and perhaps, if they were lucky, Mary as well.


	33. Chapter 33

The next few months flew by in a flurry of planning sessions involving Sarah, Chuck, and the Awesomes in some form or another. Sarah was surprised that she was able to work with Chuck and Ellie to plan the wedding while still working missions with her husband-to-be. Some were challenging, like tracking down a Fulcrum agent who had government secrets in his belt buckle, only to find that he was an undercover MI-5 agent with a Casanova complex. A turn that wound up working out for them as it led them to another member of the original Intersect development team, a scientist code named Perseus who believed his contacts were still loyal to the original project.

They’d contacted General Beckman who insisted the scientist be sent to headquarters immediately to be debriefed on what he knew of his previous handlers and any developments made to the Intersect program. Chuck had driven him to the private departures section of the Burbank Airport where the direct flight to DC was waiting for him. Since Perseus was cleared for the project, Chuck spoke to him about the Fulcrum intersect that had been uploaded into his head. After looking at him in great shock over the fact the Intersect had successfully been uploaded into a human host, Perseus informed the young agent that he might be able to extract the Fulcrum intersect files without affecting the original program. He would look into it once he was given a secure lab at Langley and get back to Chuck at a later time.

“Agent Carmichael, it has been an honor and a pleasure meeting you,” Perseus stated, shaking the taller man’s hand, “You know, you look so familiar to me, but I just can’t place why,” He mused, shaking his head from the thoughts before bidding Chuck goodbye and meeting his agency escorts in the terminal.

A couple months later, Sarah received a mysterious phone call which had turned out to be her father, Jack. After much discussion, it was decided that they would not tell Jack about Molly, so she was left with her Auntie Ellie and Uncle Awesome while her parents met with Jack. It turned out to be a good thing too, as Sarah was unsurprisingly pulled into another con in order to save her father from a sheik that Jack had cheated out of nearly $100 million for the alleged purchase of Nakamichi Plaza in downtown L.A. Chuck’s quick thinking and Sarah’s ability to improvise on the fly saved the day as their team was able to set up a meeting with the sheik to confirm the sale of Nakamichi Plaza, which led them to his off shore accounts, ensuring the ability to freeze his assets and verify his less-than-honest dealings which led to his arrest.

A quick tip from Casey allowed Sarah enough time to warn her father so that he wouldn’t be caught by the authorities who were sent to arrest him for his part in the scam. Chuck was later able to convince the general to drop the charges against Jack Burton since his assistance led to the sheik’s arrest.

The team had been experiencing a long list of positive outcomes at work, and at home Chuck and Sarah had confirmed that the venues for their wedding and reception had been nailed down. Food, clothes, and flowers had been ordered, and the officiant had been secured. No more wedding planning needed to be done, all that was left was to show up on the day, and exchange promises and rings. They couldn’t have been happier.

The only dark spot for them was that Chuck’s private search for his father still had not yielded much actionable intelligence. Sarah knew it was starting to depress him and, knowing he hadn’t used government channels yet for his search, started one of her own. A few days later, during a quiet afternoon at work, she was startled by an alarm from her computer. Opening the flashing window, a grin spread across her mouth as she wrote down the information that was now displayed on her monitor. A quick call to Ellie had Molly taken care of for the next day or so, freeing her up to surprise Chuck with what she had found. Since it was nearly the end of the workday, she shut down her computer, shouldered her purse and made her way into his office.

He had been on the phone when she knocked on his door frame, he’d waved her in and given her a kind smile as she entered and took a seat on the couch. Wrapping up his call, Chuck greeted his fiancée, “Is it that time already?”

“Very nearly,” Sarah gave him a small shrug, “I have a surprise for you, is your go bag still in the car?”

“Yeah, why?” Chuck raised a curious eyebrow at her.

“We are going to take a short trip,” Sarah informed him, “I’ve already called Ellie, she and Awesome will watch Molly until we get back.”

“Romantic weekend up the coast?” Chuck asked hopefully.

“I guess you’ll just have to come along to find out,” Sarah gave him a coy smile, “But you might want to change into something a little more comfortable. I’m going to go get changed now, meet me at the car in say 20 minutes?”

Chuck wasn’t sure what to make of Sarah’s sudden announcement, but nodded all the same, “Sure, I’ll see you in 20.” After watching her leave the office and head toward the elevator which led to their training facility and locker rooms, he checked his search once more, sighing as he noticed it still hadn’t come up with any results. With a shrug, he turned off his computer and headed downstairs himself to change and join his fiancée for her mystery trip.

~~~~~~~~~

Whatever Sarah had up her sleeve, Chuck was not expecting it to come with a nearly three-hour drive past Barstow. The sun was just beginning its descent when they pulled Sarah’s SUV onto a dusty back road. Through the dust of the rural road, Chuck could see what looked to be an old airstream in the distance.

Pulling up to a stop 15 feet away, Sarah and Chuck slid out of their seats and stood in front of the car. Despite the fact it was nearly summer, there was still a slight chill at the elevation they were at. Chuck shrugged on his jacket and looked toward Sarah who had wrapped her sweater around her sun dress. “Where are we?” He asked, breaking the silence that had settled over them.

“Chuck, I know you were getting frustrated with your search for your father,” Sarah started out slowly, “And I thought I’d help out a little. I used the agency data base to run a search to see if maybe that would come up with something since your above board, and not-so-above board searches, wasn’t seeming to pan out.” She watched him for a moment before speaking again, “Are you mad?”

“You found my dad?” Chuck gasped, astonished.

“I think so,” Sarah shrugged, “All the information fits, Stephen James Bartowski, born April 9th, 1955. Attended Stanford University, studied engineering, graduated May 1977. Married Mary Anne Newman September 5th, 1977, fathered two children, settled in Irvine where he lived for 13 years before he vanished with barely a trace.”

“Sounds about right,” Chuck nodded, “Are you sure this is where he is?”

“We’ll never know until we knock,” Sarah shrugged, giving him a look before starting toward the trailer, her ankle boots kicking up small clouds of dust with every step. She didn’t look over her shoulder, knowing that Chuck would be right behind her.

They stood, staring at the door a moment before Chuck gathered his courage and knocked on the door. Silence answered them, Chuck was just about to turn and leave when they heard shuffling and the sound of a latch being thrown. They stepped back just in time to miss being hit by the large door as it swung out, revealing a tall, thin man with wild greying brown hair, and kind blue-green eyes.

“Dad?” Chuck’s eyes widened as he recognized the man standing before him, sure he was a bit more disheveled than the last time he’d seen the older man, but it was clearly his father.

“Charles?” If Chuck hadn’t known for sure that would have confirmed it, “What are you doing here?” Stephen looked around wildly before ushering the young couple into his home, “Come in, come in, before someone sees you.”

Chuck gave his fiancée a slight shrug as he let her climb up into the trailer before he followed. They stood in the small galley of the trailer as Stephen slammed the door closed, securely latching it before turning to putter around the kitchen.

“Please sit,” Stephen gestured toward the padded bench of the dining set, “Would you like something to drink? Water, beer, soda, coffee? I mean, it’s the crystallized stuff, but it still tastes alright if you doctor it enough…”

“Dad, relax, we’re fine,” Chuck assured him.

“Right,” Stephen nodded, pulling his head out of the cabinet he’d been rooting around in. He grabbed a few cans of Shasta from the fridge and set them down on the table in front of Chuck, Sarah, and himself as he took a seat at the table opposite the couple, “I can’t tell you how good it is to see you,” He sighed.

“Yeah, you too,” Chuck smiled as he felt Sarah squeezing his knee under the table, helping him to relax, “So how have you been?”

“Forget about me, tell me about you,” Stephen countered, “What have you been up to?”

“Not much,” Chuck shrugged, “I graduated high school, went to Stanford, started my own cyber security firm.”

“I’m impressed,” Stephen nodded, cracking the top of his soda, “He was always the smart one.”

Sarah simply smiled at the older man’s assessment of her fiancé.

“Not like you,” Chuck shook his head.

“You’re right,” Stephen amended, “He’s much smarter than me. How’s Eleanor?”

“She’s good,” Chuck nodded, “About a year after you left, she went to UCLA, was accepted to medical school and is nearly done with her neurology fellowship. She met someone in medical school, they got married a few years ago, had a little girl, she’ll be two in a few months.”

“Wow,” Stephen sighed, nodding, “I missed a lot.”

“Tends to happen when you’ve been gone for over ten years,” Chuck spoke before realizing what he’d said and blushing, “I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

“Yeah you did,” Stephen gave him a soft smile, “And you’re right to do so, I know I haven’t been around. It’s expected I’d miss some important stuff.”

“Well that’s kind of why we’re here,” Chuck spoke softly, his hand drifting to hold Sarah’s. The slight squeeze she gave him spurred him on, “I don’t want you to miss any more important stuff if we can help it.”

“You want me to come to your wedding,” Stephen stated, smiling at the surprised look in his son’s eyes, “I may not be the smartest man in this room, but I’m not blind, I saw the ring when she walked in, congratulations.”

“Thanks,” Chuck blushed, “That’s actually the main reason why we’re here, but there’s more. The wedding is in a few weeks, and after that, I’m officially adopting our daughter.”

“Why would you need to do that if she’s yours?” Stephen raised an eyebrow.

“Well, you see, Sarah adopted Molly before we met,” Chuck gave Sarah a warm smile that made it clear the affection he felt for her and their small family, “She was just a couple months old then, we’re her parents in nearly all ways but one, well two in my case, which is why we want to make it official and legal as soon as we’re married.”

"Adoption is a very commendable choice, son,” Stephen nodded, “I’m proud of you, I’m sure your mother would be too.”

Yeah,” Chuck sighed, “Speaking of Mom, do you know where she is? I’d kinda like her to be there too, so she can meet her granddaughters.”

“I haven’t seen your mother in a while, Charles,” Stephen gave him a sad look, “I wish I had some information I could give you, but I can’t.”

“I see,” Chuck nodded, “Would you consider coming with us back to Burbank? At least stay until the wedding at Molly’s adoption. I’m sure Ellie would love to see you.”

“I doubt she’d want me there,” Stephen stood up, taking his soda toward the kitchen and placing the can on the counter.

“Of course, she does,” Chuck insisted, “We both do.”

“It’s just not a good idea,” Stephen protested.

“Are you being serious right now?” Chuck looked at his father incredulously. “Don’t you want to be a part of our lives again?”

“Of course, I do, Charles,” Stephen sighed, “I just… I just can’t.”

“You can’t?” Chuck’s voice raised, “Well that’s just great, I’m so glad we came all the way out here for ‘Can’t,’”

“Chuck,” Sarah spoke softly, getting his attention. Stephen looked on as he watched the silent communication that passed between his son and the woman who would be his daughter-in-law. He could see the effect she had on his son, he remembered the days when Mary had that same effect on him, before she disappeared.

“Look Dad,” Chuck spoke once he’d calmed down a bit, “I’m not just here for me. While, yes, I would love it if you could come to my wedding, I think it’s just as important for you to see Ellie again, meet your grandchildren, meet Devon, get to know us again. Do you have any idea how much we’ve missed you?”

“Probably about as much as I’ve missed the two of you,” Stephen sighed, “Okay, you’ve won me over, give me some time to pack.”

Chuck and Sarah watched as Stephen trundled over to the other side of the trailer where the sleeping quarters lay and pull out a duffel, throwing items in as they continued to speak.

“That was easier than I thought it would be,” Chuck leaned back against the seat, “I’m glad we found him.”

“Me too,” Sarah nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“He seems more focused than I remember,” A small smile spread on his lips as he watched his father finish packing his clothes, “I always remember him being a little crazy, I guess I was wrong.”

“Alright, I’m set, let’s go get you two love birds married,” Stephen returned, a broad smile on his face before his eyes drifted to the window and he peeked out, “On second thought maybe we should wait until nightfall to leave. They’re tracking my every move, the rat bastards.”

“You were saying?” Sarah gave Chuck an amused smirk.

“Well nobody’s normal,” Chuck gave her a weak chuckle.

~~~~~~~~~

The ride back to Burbank was enjoyable, if not slightly embarrassing for Chuck as Stephen shared stories of Chuck and Ellie growing up. One such story had just been shared, sending Sarah into peals of laughter as Chuck blushed. “Oh my God, seriously?”

“Oh yeah, it showed _everything_,” Stephen nodded, “Ellie worked really hard on that costume, too.”

“That costume was no joke either,” Chuck agreed, “I remember her having me try it on as she worked on it. To this day I don’t know where she found a red unitard, to this day I still don’t know how I was supposed to pee in that thing!”

“Finding crutches that were small enough for Morgan was a bit of a task, though,” Stephen chuckled.

“Everyone kept calling him Tiny Tim,” Chuck grinned, “No matter how many times he told them that he was actually Freddy Freeman.”

“He wasn’t the only one,” Stephen grinned.

“I don’t know why; Shazam is _way_ cooler than Superman,” Chuck protested, “Don’t get me wrong Sups is great and all, but Shazam can kick his ass, and has on a few different occasions.”

Sarah couldn’t help but laugh at her fiancé’s indignation, “Awe, is poor Billy not getting enough recognition?” She faux pouted toward him.

Chuck simply stared at her in awe as he continued down the nearly empty highway.

“What?” She challenged with an innocent expression, “Did you think you were the only one who grew up reading comic books?”

“I… er… You are so hot right now,” Chuck gasped, nearly forgetting his father until the older man cleared his throat, causing Chuck to blush. “Sorry, Dad.”

“It’s okay, Son,” Stephen smiled, “I’m glad you found someone who understands you.”

By the time they’d arrived back in Burbank, it was late. It was generally agreed that they would all get some sleep before letting Ellie know that Stephen was back. Chuck apologized to his father as he made up the couch for the older man to sleep on since the guest room had long since become the nursery. The older man just waived him off and said that he didn’t mind and sent his son off to bed.

~~~~~~~~~

“Good morning,” Ellie sang out as she entered the apartment, Molly on her hip.

“Hey, Sis,” Chuck grinned, taking the little girl from her arms.

“I hope you don’t mind I just let myself in, I saw your cars in the lot and thought you might want your daughter back,” Ellie shrugged, “How was your thing last night.”

“It was interesting,” Chuck commented non-committally.

"Do you want some breakfast?” Sarah asked, pouring coffee for herself and Chuck, “You, Devon, and Clara are welcome to join us, Chuck was just about to pull out the griddle.

Before Ellie could respond, another voice came from down the hall, “That feels much better,” Stephen commented, rubbing a towel over his hair as he ambled down the hall, “My shower doesn’t get the best pressure, so I always feel like I still have some grit on me even after getting out.”

Ellie stood there, dumbfounded as she took in her father. His hair was greyer, he had a few more lines around his eyes, but he was the same man who had disappeared all those years ago, “Pancakes…” She gasped out before turning on her heel and walking out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

Chuck handed Molly over to Sarah and made to go after his sister when he felt a hand on his shoulder, “Let her go, Son.” Stephen advised, “She’ll come back once she’s calmed down.”

Almost as if on queue, the door flew open again, Ellie barging up to where the two men stood. It was in this moment she realized how much alike the two men looked, sure Chuck was a bit taller than their father, eyes darker, but it was almost like looking at the same man 30 years apart. “How could you?” She demanded, “You just left, without a word. We were just kids, you promised us pancakes for dinner and then you just… you just, left. Without a trace; no phone call, no letters outside of Christmas and Birthday cards…”

“I know Eleanor,” Stephen nodded sadly, “I know you don’t understand, and I wish I could tell you why. I can’t, other than to tell you I had to, for both your sakes.”

“Bull,” Ellie shouted, “That’s bull and you know it! What could have possibly been so bad that you had to up and leave us?! I was just barely 18! Chuck was 14 and you left me to raise him.”

“And you did a great job of it,” Stephen commended, “Let’s face it, I wasn’t the best dad, I get that. You had basically been raising Chuck since your mom left.”

“But I shouldn’t have had to!” She exclaimed, “We needed you, _I_ needed you. I needed my Dad. You were great once, but when Mom left you just… stopped. You stopped playing catch with Chuck, you stopped helping me with my science projects, you just ceased to exist. Do you have any idea how it felt to show up at UCLA and see all the other students with their parents helping them to move in? I wanted nothing more than to be able to live on campus in the dorms, really experience college, but instead I was at home, raising my little brother… no offence, Chuck.”

“None taken,” Chuck assured her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, “I understand.”

Ellie sighed, wiping tears from her eyes before turning back to her father, “How can I trust that you won’t disappear again without warning? How can I expose you to my daughter and any other children I may have, not knowing if someday you might just up and leave them like you left us?”

“Eleanor, I know I’ve made mistakes,” Stephen nodded, “And I’ll probably make them again. All I can say is that I want to do better this time around. That’s not to say I won’t get pulled away, but I can try to be around more often.”

“I don’t know if I can trust you anymore,” Ellie sniffled as Chuck stepped back, allowing their father to wrap her up in his arms, cradling her head on his shoulder like he used to do when she was a little girl.

“Oh, Ellie Fae,” He cooed, “I am so sorry, I know I have a long way to go, but can you at least give me the chance to earn your trust back? I’m going to be around until Chuck’s wedding, how about we start small? Why don’t you go get your family and we can all have breakfast together? You don’t have to tell them who I am just yet, I can just be a friend of the family or a work contact of Charles’ if you want.”

“Okay, we can try,” Ellie nodded slowly, stepping back from her father, “I just have to go splash some water on my face, I’m sure I look a mess.”

“No, you’re still my beautiful little Ellie Fae,” Stephen smiled warmly at his eldest child, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I bet my granddaughter is just as beautiful.”

“Thanks,” Ellie gave him a small smile before moving past him and down the hall. The sound of water could be heard running in the bathroom for a few minutes before Ellie returned, the hair around her face a little damp, and headed out the door once more.

“I suppose I should go start breakfast,” Chuck gestured toward the kitchen.

“You might want to avoid pancakes,” Stephen advised, giving him a rueful smile.

“Yeah, I was thinking French toast,” Chuck smirked and headed into the kitchen.


	34. Chapter 34

Since that first morning, the family had slowly gotten used to Stephen being around more often. Ellie had insisted that he stay with her and Devon; since they had a spare room he could stay in. He’d spent the rest of that weekend getting to know his children again and playing with his granddaughters. Chuck and Ellie had both commented that Sunday as they watched him splitting his time pushing his granddaughters on the swings in a nearby park when they’d had a family outing, that he looked younger when he was with the girls. It was bittersweet, seeing the interaction, hearing the girls’ laughter as they played with their grandfather, while the same man had missed so much of their own lives.

Tuesday night after dinner, the adults were gathered in the living room of Ellie and Devon’s home while the girls played nearby. Stephen was explaining about how he’d come up with the concepts and designs for their various electronics from their TV to their smart phones, before his first business partner had stolen them and marketed them as his own. Trying to diver the rant that had already started building, Chuck suggested they try to find something to watch on TV. Devon quickly agreed, turning on the television. The evening news was mid-broadcast and the newscaster was reporting on an upcoming electronics expo.

Chuck felt the familiar tingle of a flash coming over him as the girls noticed the flickering of his eye lids. A moment later, he sighed realizing that the expo that was meant to promote a new system being put out by Roark Instruments was not as it seemed.

“Are you okay?” Sarah quietly whispered to him.

“Yeah, just zoned out there for a moment,” He tried to pass it off, hoping his father wouldn’t notice his strange behavior. Stephen gave no indication that he noticed anything was off with his son. A short time later had everyone parting ways with hugs for the adults and goodnight kisses for the little girls.

“So, are you going to tell me what is really going on?” Sarah asked as they backed out of Molly’s room after putting her to bed.

“I flashed on NextExpo,” Chuck groaned, leading her back to the living room, “There’s some intel suggesting that not everything is as it seems over there. Possible Fulcrum ties, and a virus that may be encoded into the RIOS software update they are planning to release next week.”

“What are we going to do?” Sarah asked, taking a seat next to him on the couch and leaning her head on his shoulder.

“I think we’re going to have to try to get someone on the inside,” Chuck sighed, “I’m the best one on the team with software development, and frankly the only hacker, I think I’m going to have to be the one going in.”

They sat still for a moment, pondering over this recent development before Chuck got an idea. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started looking over job boards before finding what he was looking for. They were looking to hire software developers and were having open interviews. Switching to another screen on his phone his fingers began flying as he activated one of his aliases.

“What are you doing?” Sarah asked, looking over his shoulder.

“I have a few aliases that I set up years ago, just in case I needed it.” Chuck shrugged, “I can’t go in as Carmichael, Fulcrum knows that name, same with Danvers. Since it’s Roark, I don’t think going in as a Bartowski will earn me any favors either considering what my dad was saying earlier.”

“So, what are you going to do?” Sarah inquired as she saw Chuck switch back over to the job board he’d been looking at a moment earlier and uploading a file.

“Meet Charlie Davenport,” Chuck grinned proudly, showing her the screen which showed him, hair slicked down, glasses on his face, playing up the nerd persona.

“A little Clark Kent, don’t you think?” She smirked.

“Why don’t you take me into the bedroom, and I can show you my family crest?” Chuck nuzzled her neck playfully.

“Superman fly me away,” She laughed as Chuck stood and swept her up in his arms, carrying her to the bedroom as she reached out and hit the switches to turn off the lights as they went.

~~~~~~~~

“Welcome aboard, Mr. Davenport,” The interviewer, a man about Chucks’ age with a hipster look to him, shook his hand, “We’ll have your credentials ready for you in the morning when you get here for orientation.”

“Great!” Chuck nodded, pushing the glasses he wore back up the bridge of his nose, “I’ll see you in the a.m., then! Thank you, again, for this opportunity Mr. Russell.”

“Please, call me Drew,” The man smiled at his new hire, “I look forward to working with you. My secretary will show you out.”

The secretary was waiting for Chuck just outside Drew’s door to escort him out. They spoke amicably as they walked, Chuck had even caught her checking him out a moment or two but chose to not say anything. He gave her one last smile and headed out the door. “Did you hear that, Baby?” He spoke under his breath, knowing that Sarah had been listening in and watching through the hidden camera in the glasses, “I’m in.”

“Yeah, and that’s just where Betty Big Boobs wants you, too,” She groused.

“What are you talking about?” He asked, sliding back into his car and pulling out of the lot with a wave to the guard as he went. His phone began to ring, and he quickly answered not saying anything, knowing who it was.

“The secretary,” She prompted.

“Are you really jealous right now?” Chuck scoffed lightly, “You know you’re the only gal for me. Besides, you know I’m not a fan of redheads. Remember our little run-in with Carina last year?”

“Nice save,” Sarah chuckled, “Are you heading back now?”

“Yeah,” Chuck nodded slightly, “I’ll be there in a little bit.”

“You might want to take of the glasses before you get up to the office though,” Sarah advised, “You know what the Clark Kent look does for me.”

“Got a thing for Sups, huh?” Chuck laughed lightly as he turned onto Ventura Boulevard and toward the office.

“Nah, I got a thing for nerds who are sexy as hell,” She grinned, “I’ll see you when you get here, drive safe.”

“I will, love you, Baby,” Chuck agreed.

“Love you, too,” Sarah hung up the phone, when she looked up from where she sat in Chuck’s office and was met with a knowing smirk from Casey who stood in the doorway.

“Can’t you keep it in your pants, for once, Carmichael?” He teased good-naturedly. They’d all noticed he’d relaxed a bit once his daughter had come into his life. As time went on, he took on more of a big brother role for both of them, teasing them on occasion. Although, when they were on a mission, he was still all business.

“It’s Walker,” Sarah responded automatically.

Casey just shrugged, “Just practicing so I don’t call you by the wrong name in the field once you and the geek…”

“Nerd,” She corrected.

“…Get yourselves hitched,” Casey finished.

“You still planning on coming?” Sarah inquired, “I’m sure Alex would love to see you there.”

“Yeah, I gotta make sure the hobbit is still treating her right,” Casey nodded, “They’re talking about moving in together, now, God help me.”

“Morgan’s a good guy,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “And we both know you would have dropped him in a deep, dark, hole by now if he wasn’t. Has Alex given any more thought about law school?”

“Yeah, said she was going to take the L-SATs next month,” Casey shrugged, “Depending on the results of that…”

“I’m sure she’ll do great,” Sarah smiled at him, “I’ve seen her transcripts.”

“She’s really something,” Casey agreed, “Kathleen did a good job raising her after I ‘died.’ But enough about that, did I hear you say that Carmichael is coming back?”

“Yeah, he was offered a position on the spot,” Sarah nodded, turning back to the computer and typing in a few commands, “We’re going to spend the rest of the day making a game plan.”

“Sounds good,” Casey gave her a wry smirk, “Just make sure you lock the door before you start banging out any details.”

“Casey!” Sarah blushed, “Get out!”

“I’ll be in my office,” He chuckled as he headed toward the door to take the elevator back down to the operations center where he’d set up camp some time before. Having his office closer to the armory suited him better, there was talk of eventually expanding the area so that they could have their own in-house ops team under his command since Chuck and Sarah had their team of ‘geeks, nerds, and misfits,’ as Casey referred to them.

A half hour after Casey’s retreat, Chuck arrived, a bag from Lou’s in one hand and couple bottles of water in the other. He and Sarah ate and spent the rest of the time brainstorming how their mission would proceed. In the end, it was going to be basic spy craft. Chuck would continue to wear his glasses and earwig, Sarah working oversight from his office, which they were now sharing. With everything going on and coming up, it had been decided that Josie would take over Sarah’s previous receptionist position for the foreseeable future. Once the plans were as nailed down as they could be, they headed home to start dinner. Since Stephen had arrived, they’d taken to having dinners as a family, alternating between their home and Ellie and Devon’s. It was their turn tonight and Chuck had promised to make his famous chicken pepperoni.

~~~~~~~~~

Dinner had been consumed, and compliments to the chef had been passed as the adults relaxed at the table. Sarah had made strawberry short cake for dessert, much to the pleasure of Stephen who had mentioned a few days before that it was his favorite treat growing up. Devon was regaling them with a story about an older patient flirting with him during her pre-op check-up as they enjoyed their dessert. Once the laughter had died down Ellie turned to Chuck and Sarah.

“So, anything new with you guys?” She inquired.

“I guess you could say that,” Sarah hedged, sending a look to her fiancé.

“We picked up a new gig, a tech company needs us to dummy-proof some of their systems,” Chuck shrugged, “One downside is that I’ll be spending a lot of time in Downy since it’s my specialty in the company. I’m really not looking forward to the commute though.”

“Are they at least covering travel expenses?” Ellie asked, brow furrowed. Her brother was being deliberately vague, something he hadn’t done since he came clean to her and Devon about his real job.

“Yeah,” Chuck nodded, “Although paying for a psychologist to help me with the trauma of LA traffic would probably be more appreciated.”

“Downy,” Stephen looked at his son, “Isn’t that where the space program started?”

“You know, I think you’re right,” Chuck nodded.

“I seem to recall that Roark Instruments took over and expanded the original campus,” He continued, trying to find a hole in his son’s story.

“Yeah, I remember that from when I was a kid,” Chuck nodded, hoping his father wasn’t just about to connect the dots.

“That’s that only tech firm in that area, Charles,” Stephen’s voice went flat as he narrowed his eyes at his son, “Please tell me you didn’t take a job with Ted Roark.”

“I can’t say one way or another,” Chuck shook his head, “Client privilege and all that.”

“Client Prive…!” Stephen shouted, slamming his hand on the table causing the younger adults to jump a little. “Damn it, Charles! You know how I feel about that man, he nearly took everything from me!”

“It was already in the works before we found you again, Dad,” Chuck protested, “We didn’t know then and it was already too late by the time we did. It shouldn’t be more than a couple weeks, then I’m out of there. I doubt I’ll even have to deal with Mr. Roark directly.”

“I don’t want you going, Charles,” Stephen shook his head.

“It’s already done,” Chuck countered, “I’m the best fit for the job, the sooner I get in, the sooner I can get out again.”

Stephen stood from the table, “Excuse me, I need to get some air.” With that he walked out into the courtyard.

Chuck rose to go after him, but was stopped by a hand on his arm, “He’ll calm down,” Sarah advised, “Just give him time.”

“You’re right,” He nodded.

“So, are you really dummy proofing his systems?” Ellie arched an eyebrow at her brother, “One would think someone with a company the size of Roark Instruments, he would have in-house staff for that.”

“He does,” Chuck nodded, “This is more of a fact-finding thing. Since the system is closed, I need direct access to it, once I have access to a terminal, I should be able to find what I’m looking for. It seems Ted isn’t on the up-and-up, so the powers that be want me to see what I can dig up without being noticed. Luckily the Piranha has never been caught unless he wanted to be.”

“You know it’s a little weird to refer to yourself in the third person,” Ellie commented, taking a sip from her wine.

“So, what you are saying is ‘We are not amused?’” Chuck smirked.

“Exactly,” Ellie grinned. “Whatever it is you are going there to do, just be safe, okay?”

“I will, Sis,” Chuck reached for her hand and gave it a small squeeze, “Promise.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Ellie nodded.

~~~~~~~~~

It had been a few days since Chuck started his ‘new’ job at Roark Instruments and he was getting along well with his co-workers. He was starting to make headway on slowly rewriting the code in the update so as to not alert the responsible parties to the fact he was disabling the RIOS virus. The commute was terrible, but at least he got home in time to sing Molly to sleep at night and spend some time with her snuggling in the morning before he had to leave again. This night, however, traffic had been especially bad, and by the time he had arrived home, it was past Molly’s bedtime.

“I am so sorry, Baby,” Chuck rushed in, dropping his computer case on the couch, loosening his tie as he kissed Sarah on the cheek on his way toward Molly’s room.

“It’s okay,” Sarah gave him a soft smile as she grabbed his arm to slow him down, “Grandpa has her.”

“’Grandpa has her?’” Chuck’s eyebrows raised, “I don’t remember him ever putting us to bed, that was usually Mom’s thing. This, I gotta see.”

The pair quietly slipped down the hall and peeked around the door frame to see Stephen, relaxing on the glider rocker as Molly lay against his shoulder, snuggled up in his arms. A soft hum could be heard from the older man, and before long, he began to sing softly to his youngest grandchild, “_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey. You’ll never know, Dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.”_

_“_I used to sing that to you and Eleanor when you were little and couldn’t sleep.” Stephen smiled up at his son and future daughter-in-law from his seat. “I saw you standing in the door frame, you two would make terrible spies.” Stephen smirked at their shocked expressions as he slowly stood and walked toward them so they could kiss Molly goodnight before he laid her down in her crib for the night.

“Thanks, Dad, for putting her down,” Chuck smiled warmly at his father as the three adults retired to the living room, Chuck moving his bag from where he dropped it so that he and Sarah could snuggle up on the couch. “Traffic was awful today and I didn’t think I would make it in time. I appreciate that you were here to take care of it for me.”

“Don’t you even worry yourself over it,” Stephen waived off the appreciation, “It was my pleasure to do it. I know I wasn’t the best dad for you there at the end, but I want to be able to do better for my grandchildren.”

“Does this mean you might consider moving closer?” Chuck inquired, a hopeful note to his voice.

“ I don’t know, Son,” Stephen shrugged, “There are a lot of factors to consider, but if it is possible, I would love to be closer to my children and their families. That, however, does not mean you go out searching for places for me to live on your next day off. It simply means I will think about it. If I can’t move down, I’ll try to visit more often, okay?”

“Better than nothing,” Chuck sighed, “Well, it’s getting late and I’ve had a long day, so I think I’m going to hit the sack.”

“I should be on my way too,” Stephen rose and made his way to the front door, Chuck and Sarah trailing behind him, each embracing him. “Before your sister decides to send out a search party for me.”

“Thank you again,” Sarah smiled up at the older man as she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his weathered cheek, “I know Molly really enjoyed having her grandpa sing her to sleep. It was a nice change of pace from Chuck and I.”

“Any time Sarah,” He gave her a paternal smile, turning it to his son as well before heading out the door and across the courtyard to where his eldest child lived.

“There’s leftovers in the fridge if you want them,” Sarah nodded toward the kitchen, “Sorry we didn’t wait for you.”

“No, it’s okay, I get it,” Chuck assured her, “I think I’ll nuke me up a plate and take it back to the office to work on the dailies before heading to bed.”

“Sounds good,” Sarah nodded, “I have to finish up the laundry and then I’ll probably head back myself.”

“Alright,” Chuck nodded and headed toward the kitchen. He pulled out the containers of mashed potatoes, meatloaf, and green beans from the fridge and, grabbing a plate, dished a little of everything up for himself and popped it in the microwave. While he waited for his dinner to warm up, he grabbed a beer and carried it back to the bedroom to boot up his computer. The computer was nearly done with its startup process when he heard the telltale beeping of the microwave signaling his dinner was ready. Once he retrieved his plate and some utensils, he returned to the office alcove of his room and logged into his computer.

Chuck was mid-way through the dailies when he got an alert for an incoming message in his secure email server. Switching over to the account he found an anonymous email that had been bounced through so many servers, it would take a long time to trace its origin. Opening the email, he read the short note;

_Agent Carmichael,_

_ There is a potential new threat regarding the Intersect Program. I was able to liberate the attached schematics. I trust you will know what to do with them._

_-Orion_

Chuck reread the email three more times before opening the files. An alert box popped up instructing him to verify his identity. A prompt popped up reading, ‘_What is your name?’_ Chuck quirked an eyebrow and typed ‘_Charles Carmichael_.’ The box flashed twice as the prompt changed. ‘_What is your quest?’_ He shook his head at Orion’s sense of humor as he typed in, ‘_To seek the Grail.’_ The box flashed twice more as the text changed again. ‘_What… is the answer to the ultimate question of life?’_ Chuck couldn’t help but bark out a laugh as he typed in, ‘_42.’_ The box closed on itself and several windows containing schematics popped up on the screen along with another note from Orion instructing him to study the schematics as they would aid him in protecting the intersect technology. After studying the schematics for a time as he ate his dinner, he created an encrypted file on his computer that could only be accessed by him on his Orion laptop and desktop computers.

~~~~~~~~~

By the time NextExpo rolled around, Chuck had nearly eliminated or negated all the triggers in the software update. Chuck was finishing up a last-minute project that had landed on his desk when Drew stopped by his desk, “Hey, Charlie!” The man clapped him on the shoulder, “Enough work! Ted wants us all to come to the auditorium for the release.”

“I’ll be there in a sec,” Chuck nodded, hitting a few more keystrokes before locking his terminal and heading toward the big event. Turning the corner, he saw Ted and his entourage gathered in the hallway. As he passed, he noticed a man talking with Roark and flashed. Ducking into an alcove, he got Sarah’s attention, “Just thought you would like to know, there is a Fulcrum Agent, a Javier Diaz, with ties to digital espionage here at the expo.”

“Chuck, are you sure you disabled the program?” Sarah checked.

“Yeah,” Chuck nodded, “But if they had a back-up that I wasn’t able to find…”

“Just be careful, and if anything seems to not add up, you know what you need to do.” Sarah advised.

“Yeah, I will,” Chuck agreed and headed into the auditorium, as he entered and made his way down the stairs, he heard his name being called. Turning, he saw Jeff and Lester from the Burbank BuyMore seated in the seventh row. “What are you two doing here?” He asked, trying not to sound irritated that they were there.

“Our great and illustrious leader sent us,” Lester responded.

“Honestly, I think Morgan just wanted us out of the store so he could get freaky with his lady love in his office without us finding out,” Jeff added.

“That’s great Jeff,” Chuck gave him an uncomfortable smile.

“What are you doing here Chuck, your pet project bomb?” Lester sneered.

“Um, nope, still up and running,” Chuck shook his head, “It’s just the slow season, so I picked up some side work here.”

“What too good to work at the BuyMore to make ends meet?” Lester challenged.

“Not at all,” Chuck shook his head, “Morgan just told me that he wasn’t hiring technicians right now, so I had to find something else.”

“Whatever you have to tell yourself, Charles,” Lester smirked.

“And on that note, I’m gonna go take my seat,” Chuck walked away before either one of the odd duo could speak again.

Roark took the stage a few moments later to the cheers and applause of his audience, playing to the crowd and getting them excited for the new release. When he had them where he wanted them, he gestured for his launch button. Diaz came out from the wing, handing him a cylindrical object that looked like a three-inch-long section of a silver-plated cordless microphone stem with a glowing red button on the top. Roark thanked him and turned back to the gathering before him and started a count down. Not seeing any other way to stop the launch, Chuck stood and shouted “Wait, stop!” Interrupting the countdown at ‘four.’

Roark gave him an inquisitive look as Chuck ran up to the stage, “What the hell are you doing, kid?”

“You can’t press that button,” Chuck whispered to Roark amid heckling from those in the audience.

“Oh really, and why not?” Roark challenged.

“The CIA believes that there is something wrong with the software.” Chuck advised, “They have information indicating that if it goes live, it’s going to release a virus to computers worldwide.”

“Do you have any idea how crazy you sound right now?” Roark shook his head, “Get off my stage.”

“I can’t do that, Mr. Roark,” Chuck shook his head, “I promise you I’m not crazy or making this up.”

“Sorry folks just a slight technical delay,” Roark gave a wry smile to the audience as he gestured with his upstage hand for security to come and escort Chuck off the stage.

Not knowing what else to do as Roark’s brute squad approached him from both sides, Chuck grabbed the button from Roark’s hand and jumped off the stage, heading for one of the rear exits. He was watching behind him as he ran up the steps and was nearly at the top of the center section when he was clotheslined by his supervisor, Drew, as he turned around too late to see the move.

“I’ll take that, and I think it goes without saying that you’re fired,” Drew grabbed the button from Chuck’s hand and jogged down the stairs toward the stage, handing the button back to Roark to the cheers and applause of the audience as security dragged Chuck from the room. Security watched him as he packed up the few personal items he’d brought with him and put them in his briefcase before they took his badge and escorted him out of the building.


	35. Chapter 35

“Chuck, are you okay?” Sarah asked as he walked through the door, “Ellie called me, she and your dad were watching the expo online. Thankfully, the audio was too quiet to hear what you’d said to Roark while you were on stage, so your dad didn’t hear anything.”

“I’m fine,” Chuck nodded as he pulled his fiancée into a hug, “A little sore from the impact of that clothesline, but it’s more my ego that was bruised than anything else.”

“Yeah, that was a little embarrassing,” Sarah smirked, “Big bad CIA agent taken down by an untrained computer nerd.”

“Love you, too,” Chuck rolled his eyes, “I’m going to go get changed and see if I can’t figure out which version of RIOS was just sent out into the world, see if I can’t do some damage control if the wrong one was released.”

“Okay, Baby,” Sarah gave him a kiss, “I’ll let you know when dinner is ready. I am proud of you, just so you know, no matter the outcome.”

“I know,” Chuck nodded and headed back to his room.

He quickly changed into jeans and a t-shirt and booted up his computer. It didn’t take long to find out that a version with nearly all his corrections had been released. He quickly made the patch and send it as a silent update to those who had already downloaded the new RIOS system. Satisfied that he’d done all he could, he shut down his computer and booted up his laptop so he could sit on his bed to study the schematics in a more comfortable position.

He’d been at it for a while, still not understanding what he was supposed to do with the schematics Orion had sent him, when he heard a knock on the door. Turning he saw his dad slowly open the door and stick his head in.

“May I come in?” Stephen asked, cautiously, “I just need a minute of your time.”

“Yeah,” Chuck nodded, sitting up and closing his laptop enough the schematics couldn’t be seen by the older man. “Come on in.”

Stephen smiled his thanks and took a seat on the foot of the bed, facing his son, playing with a map of Roark’s campus that was laying on Chuck’s bag. “I don’t know if Sarah told you, but your sister and I watched NextExpo’s live stream today. She seems to be under the impression that the stunt you pulled today was due to my issues with Ted Roark.”

“No, Dad that wasn’t…” Chuck started.

“Still my minute?” Stephen cut him off, at his son’s nod, “I’ve not made the best decisions over the past few decades, and it’s cost me a lot of things including my job, my family, and more than a little of my sanity. I am so proud of you, Son, but I don’t want my issues to influence your life more than they already have. If you want to work with Roark, work with Roark, don’t worry about my issues with the man, those are my own.”

“I’ve really missed these talks with you,” Chuck gave his father a sad smile.

“Me too,” Stephen nodded, standing and leaving the map on Chuck’s nightstand, “Well, my minute’s up, I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Chuck looked at his father, earnestly. Stephen simply nodded his head in acknowledgement and left the room.

As he was turning back to his computer, Chuck’s eyes landed on the piece of paper his father had left behind. There was some thing familiar about the design that he couldn’t put his finger on until he opened his laptop and looked at the schematics again. His eyes widened as he put the pieces together, lifting the map, he laid it over the screen, it was a near-exact match to the schematic he’d been looking at. “Oh boy,” He groaned, “Roark has a gorram intersect!”

Chuck scrambled to his feet and ran into the living room, surprised to see Casey already there. “Oh, good you’re here.”

“What the hell happened today, Carmichael?” The older man demanded.

“That’s not important,” Chuck brushed the question aside, “Roark has an intersect.”

“What do you mean, ‘Roark has an Intersect?’” Casey growled, “What did you flash on?”

“I didn’t exactly flash, per se,” Chuck hedged.

“Chuck…” Sarah warned.

“Orion reached out to me a few days ago and sent me some schematics for the intersect.” Chuck explained, “He said that I would know what to do with it. Think about it, we know that Fulcrum is trying to get their own Intersect program up and running, but they need a supercomputer to be able to collate all the data for download into their agents. Roark has the means to supply such a computer.”

“You think Ted Roark is working for Fulcrum?” Sarah raised an eyebrow at her fiancé.

“It makes sense,” Chuck insisted, “It would explain the Fulcrum ties to R.I., the attempt at infecting computers worldwide with a virus which, now that I think about it, was designed as a trojan horse to collect data from secure servers worldwide. Not to mention he has at least one Fulcrum operative on his board that we know of, Diaz.”

“Let’s say what you are thinking is true,” Sarah started, “R.I. has some of the best security at their facility, and you were thrown out. We have no way of accessing the property now.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I made a couple extra access keys,” Chuck grinned, going to the table by the door and pulling out two white cards, waiving them at his partners. “I could go in, and you two could keep the other spare in case I need back up.”

“It couldn’t hurt to look…” Sarah shrugged.

“Carmichael, if this winds up getting us sanctioned…” Casey warned.

“Then I’ll take the heat,” Chuck swore.

“We should probably go tonight,” Sarah advised, “Before they think to deactivate your access card. I’ll have Ellie keep Molly overnight.”

“Great,” Chuck smiled, “Let’s go suit up.”

~~~~~~~~~

“Com check,” Sarah’s voice came over the earpiece.

“Loud and clear, Baby,” Chuck nodded, giving her a thumbs up through the open back door of the van before going back to checking his tranq pistols and back-up ammunition. Just like any other mission, he did have his live-fire weapon and clip of live ammunition along with the tranq pistols and darts. Although, just like any other mission, he had no intention of discharging the more powerful weapon.

“Are you sure you want to do this solo, Carmichael?” Casey checked, turning in his seat at the mobile video monitoring station.

“It has to be solo,” Chuck confirmed, “No offence, but you two would stick out like sore thumbs. Sarah is way too beautiful to not get noticed, and Casey, you look like the football star that picked on the nerds in school.”

“It was wrestling, but I get your point,” Casey conceded with a nod. “Good luck.”

“Thanks, Casey,” Chuck nodded before turning to Sarah who had come to the rear of the van to close the door. “I’ll see you on the other side.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Sarah watched as her amicable Chuck changed to the reserved, focused, Charles Carmichael before her eyes. She’d noticed long ago that when Chuck went undercover or on an active mission, it was like watching a person with multiple personality disorder transition from one persona to the next. Chuck, her Chuck, was warm, joyful, caring, unreservedly nerdy, and exuded love for his friends and family. She saw him in every cover he took on in one way or another. Danvers was intelligent and loved his family like Chuck did but was quicker to speak and slower to think at times than Chuck was. Davenport was likewise intelligent, but not as effusive a Chuck’s true personality. He was focused, driven, tech nerd by day, hacker by night. If anything, Davenport was the original cover Chuck had developed to cover his tracks as Piranha so the two were basically on in the same in a low-key Jekyll and Hyde way. Carmichael was the master spy, he had Davenport’s craftiness and quick thinking, Chuck’s masterful wit and intelligence. He was confident, poised, suave, and had a roguish grin that could melt a woman from the inside out at 50 paces, not that Sarah didn’t notice and fallen prey to these same attributes in a more subtle way coming from Chuck. “Come back to me.”

“Always,” Carmichael grinned at her, his eyes penetrating to her very soul, causing her to blush. He reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb brushing along her cheek bone before stepping back racking a round in his tranq pistol and shutting the doors to the van.

Carmichael quickly made his way around to a side entrance. Using his copied access card, he swiped himself into the building and made his way up the stairwell toward where they suspected the intersect might be being developed. Checking the hall and seeing it was clear, he made his way down to a restricted access area and was just about to try to crack the security code when he heard the sound of a person ranting and the shuffle of feet as the ranter came nearer to his location. He looked around and tried a couple doors before finding an office door that had been left unlocked.

Carmichael watched as several security guards were trying to restrain a man who was ranting at them, his hands flying wildly as if to try to point out his ideas in mid-air. His mask slipped a moment as he recognized the ranting man, “Dad?” He groaned, “What are you doing here?”

He watched as the security team surrounded the older man and quickly assessed the situation. Pulling open the door, he began firing his tranq pistols with both hands. The security team looked at him in surprise before all dropping as one to the floor, knocked out for the next 6 hours or so. Standing in the middle of the fallen bodies was Stephen J. Bartowski, hunched over, his arms wrapped around his head protectively.

“Charles, what are you?” He started, taking in the tactical gear-clad young man before his son cut him off.

“I need to get you out of here,” Chuck insisted, “There’s a lot I should probably explain, but I just don’t have the time right now. The short version is, I’m not who you think I am,” Then Carmichael took over, “Stick close by me, and do exactly as I say.

The doors behind them slid open, revealing a man with a scar on his face. Chuck flashed, recognizing him as a Fulcrum hitman who had been recently charged with the capture of Orion. Stephen looked up at the man before turning back to his son, “Don’t worry, Charles. I’m not who you think I am, either.”

“Hands up,” The scarred man instructed, “Turn around.”

Stephen gave his son a look of assurance before he turned and faced the hitman. Pushing the left sleeve of his jacked up to reveal a computer-interfaced gauntlet attached to his arm. The fingers of his right hand flew over the screen typing in a command that had the doors sliding closed on the hitman, trapping him as Stephen charged and punched the man twice, knocking him out before turning back to his son. “Are you coming?” He asked, pushing the doors open and holding them open long enough for his son to follow.

“Holy sh… You’re Orion!” Chuck exclaimed.

“Yeah, and you’re Charles Carmichael, CIA,” Stephen looked at his son, “We’ll discuss that little nugget after we get out of his mess.”

Carmichael nodded, “Let’s go,” and followed the Intersect developer down the hall. When they reached a keypad requesting an access code, he paused. “Damn, I wasn’t expecting this.”

“Use the intersect, Son,” Orion advised, “Concentrate, you can control it.”

“Right,” Carmichael turned back, focusing on the numeric pad as he felt the familiar tingle in his head as the flash overtook him. The flash only lasted a second before his fingers were flying over the pad, entering in the access code.

“Aces, Charles,” Orion beamed as the door to Roark’s Intersect lab slid open allowing the two men to enter.

The room was large with a long desk, on one end was a computer terminal, on the other was a large glass cylinder with a cube suspended on a vertical rod inside, slowly spinning. “That’s the Intersect?”

“Two-point-oh,” Stephen nodded, “My greatest source of pride, behind you and your sister, of course. I have to make some modifications to Roark’s software.”

“So how, exactly does this thing work?” Carmichael asked, watching over Orion’s shoulder as the older man typed prompts into the terminal.

“Well, it projects encoded images that allow data to be, for lack of a better term, uploaded into a host’s brain,” Orion explained as he typed, “I see no reason why I can’t work in reverse… in theory.”

“In theory?” Chuck repeated, eyebrows shooting up.

“Well, we can’t exactly uninstall the information,” Orion gave him a nervous smile, “But I might be able to override the information to render it inactive.”

“Is there any way to target the Fulcrum intersect programming?” Carmichael inquired.

“That would take too long and we simply don’t have the time,” Orion shook his head as he typed in a few more prompts, “Okay, that aught to do it. Are you ready?”

“As ready as I can be,” Carmichael nodded as Orion stepped out of the way and Carmichael took the older man’s place in front of the monitor, “But you should probably put your glasses on first.”

“Right, of course,” Orion grabbed a pair of polarized glasses from next to the terminal, “Good luck Charles.”

Carmichael nodded to the older man then hit the enter button on the keyboard. The monitor flickered a few times then froze as alarms started to go off. “There must be something wrong,” Orion nudged him out of the way, fingers flying over the keyboard as he tried to figure out what happened. “Damn it! It’s not working!”

“No, it doesn’t work,” The men turned to see Ted Roark enter the room flanked by his security detail, “But I’m sure you can get it to work in no time. I seem to remember you always had a way with computers, Orion, just like I had a way with the ladies.”

“Not all of them,” Stephen smirked, stepping between his son and his nemesis.

“Yeah, well you can’t win them all,” Roark shrugged, “How you managed to melt the Frost Queen, I’ll never know.”

Stephen chose not to respond to Roark’s taunts, “What no love for your former partner? All that running has aged you, old man.” Stephen still stayed silent as Roark let out a huff an turned to the hit man who had joined, “Put him on the chopper, kill the kid.”

“Wait!” Stephen cried out, “I- I’ll help you get it working, I’ll get Fulcrum it’s precious intersect, but on one condition.” Roark’s gave him a curious look. “You leave my son out of it, you let him walk away.”

“What makes you think you can make demands?” The hitman challenged.

“You really think torture is going to work after being separated from my family for 15 years?” Orion growled, “My son goes free, and you are not to contact him or the rest of my family, or I won’t do a damned thing for you.”

“Let me get this straight,” Roark smirked, “You and the Frost Queen reproduced? I knew he looked familiar the other day. He looks just like you, Stephen, you must be so proud.”

“Roark,” Stephen warned, “My son.”

“Fine! I’m not a complete monster,” Roark chuckled, “The son can go. I call shotgun on the chopper!”

Stephen shook the hitman off and walked to his son, “Charles, take care of your sister and those grandbabies of mine,” He hit a button to open the door, revealing Sarah and Casey, weapons drawn, “Sarah take good care of him. I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m going to make it to the wedding.”

“Dad, no!” Chuck cried out as Casey and Sarah held him back.

“Goodbye Charles,” Stephen patted his son’s shoulder, “I am so proud of the man you’ve become.” With that he hit the button to close the door and walked toward the other door, Roark’s henchmen surrounding him all the way to the chopper.

~~~~~~~~~

The courtyard was eerily quiet as they made their way to Ellie’s condo. “Chuck we’re going to find a way to fix this.” Sarah assured him as he nodded mutely and knocked on his sister’s door.

“Chuck!” Ellie looked at him surprised, “What are you doing here? Where’s Dad?”

“Dad’s gone, Elle,” Chuck sighed.

“’Gone?’ What do you mean, ‘Gone?’” Ellie’s eyes began to mist over as her brother pulled her into his strong embrace.

“He followed me tonight, let himself get captured to save me,” Chuck sniffed, “I tried to save him but…”

“Hey this was not your fault,” Ellie cooed, rubbing her younger brother’s back like she used to when he was younger. “We’ve made it this long without him, we’ll get through this. At least we know why he left this time.”

“Yeah,” Chuck nodded, stepping back and wiping his eyes, “It’s been a long day, we should get Molly and go to bed.”

“She’s already asleep,” Ellie protested, “I can keep her for tonight if you would like.”

“I appreciate that, Elle,” Chuck gave her a wan smile, “But I really would like my whole family at home with me tonight.”

Ellie nodded in understanding as she stepped aside to let her brother in. She and Sarah watched as the tall man took the stairs three at a time to where his niece and daughter were sleeping. “He’s going to be okay,” Ellie assured Sarah, “Just give it some time.”

“I know,” Sarah sighed, “He was really looking forward to having him back in your lives. Even though we know the reason behind your dad’s leaving, it’s still hard knowing he won’t be around.”

“I miss him,” Ellie admitted, “I am so angry he’s gone again, and I don’t know how we are going to tell the girls they’ll probably never see their Grandpa again, but I’ll miss him.

“We’ll figure it out together,” Sarah promised, like we always do; us Bartowskis have to stick together.”

“Yeah,” Ellie nodded, wrapping her sister-in-law to-be in her arms as Chuck came back down, a sleeping Molly in his arms. He watched as the two women stepped apart before leaning down and kissing his sister’s cheek. “Try to get some rest,” She advised.

“Okay,” Chuck nodded and guided Sarah out the door and across the corner of the complex to their own condo to go to sleep. Wordlessly they all went back to the master bedroom, neither had to ask where Molly would be sleeping that night. With everything that had happened the past few days, they didn’t want to be separated right now, even the girl’s room was too far away for their comfort right now. Chuck waited for Sarah to change for bed before handing Molly over to her so he could change himself.

Sarah watched him as he stripped down to his boxers and undershirt and climbed into bed. She curled up beside him, laying Molly on his chest, wrapping her arm over Molly’s back and across Chuck’s chest. The small family snuggled together as the adults drifted off into a restless sleep.


	36. Chapter 36

The wedding was a week and a half away and no progress had been made in finding Stephen J. Bartowski, a.k.a. Orion, and Chuck was beginning to lose hope that they would find him before the big day. What made it worse was that Molly had been asking for her grandfather on a nearly daily basis since the day he was taken. At times it seemed they couldn’t go an hour without Molly looking at the chair Stephen seemed to have claimed during his short visit in their home and looking back at them with wide eyes and a soft “Gampa bye-bye?” Every time this happened, Chuck felt as if his heart was breaking just a little more.

The most recent round of Molly’s search ended with the little girl in tears because she couldn’t find her beloved grandpa with whom she’d grown attached during his short stay. Chuck had only just succeeded in getting her calmed down enough to take a nap when Sarah walked through the door with Ellie, shopping bags in hand.

“Your trip was a success today?” Chuck smiled at the women.

“Yes,” Sarah grinned, “I found a few things that you can see once we get to Maui, and trust me, they are worth the wait. How was your day?” Chuck’s smile faded a little, “That bad huh?”

“I just barely got her down.” Chuck groaned, “We really need to figure out where they took Dad. I think the only way to get her out of her funk is to find a way to miraculously appaperate him into his favorite chair.”

“Did you not find any leads?” Ellie looked between the spy couple.

“Not anything actionable,” Chuck shrugged, “They took a helicopter and stayed below radar so we couldn’t track them. He could literally be anywhere right now.”

“Well, keep trying,” Ellie urged, “You are an amazing man and, if the stories Sarah has told me are any indication, one of the best spies in the business, although I’m pretty sure we are a little biased. I have faith you will figure something out.”

“Thanks, Sis,” Chuck gave his sister a one-armed hug, “I should probably get back to it, if I have any hope of finding him before the wedding.”

“Alright, I’ll see you later, Little Brother,” Ellie kissed his cheek before turning back to Sarah, “Please make sure he eats and doesn’t burn himself out.”

“I will, Elle,” Sarah promised giving her almost-sister-in-law a hug and walking her to the door. “Have you eaten anything today or did you only feed Molly and not yourself?” She turned to her fiancé.

“Molly’s been fed,” Chuck gave her a half-shrug, “I kinda pecked here and there.”

“Pecking is not eating,” Sarah reminded him with a sigh. “I’m going to warm up the leftover meatloaf and potatoes from the other night. I’m making you a plate and we can eat together before you get back to Father Search – Part Deux.”

“Alright,” Chuck relented with a chuckle, “You serve up the food, I’ll get us some wine.”

“Grab the cab,” Sarah spoke with her head in the fridge grabbing the casserole dish with the meatloaf and the bowl of potatoes, she paused a moment after setting the dishes on the counter, and looked over at Chuck who had a smirk on his face, “I didn’t mean for that to rhyme,” She admitted, “I just didn’t feel like the Merlot tonight and figured you probably would be breaking out the Rombauer later so the Cabernet seemed like a good choice to have with dinner.”

“You don’t have to explain it to me,” Chuck grinned as she rolled her eyes and returned to her task of slicing pieces of meatloaf and plating them along with mashed potatoes, adding a little extra butter to the potatoes before placing each dish in the microwave to heat up individually. “What makes you think I’d be pulling out the Rombauer later?”

“Well, we haven’t found any information through conventional channels,” Sarah shrugged as Chuck poured the wine and carried them into the dining room, “I figured you’d get around to releasing Piranha sooner than later.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Chuck sighed, returning to the kitchen to grab utensils and napkins from a couple drawers before returning to the dining room, “It’s probably about time I started swimming through some of the darker corners of the interwebs. I really hope I can find out at least something that will give us a direction, however tenuous, to where to start looking for my father.”

“I know you want him at the wedding,” Sarah gave him a soft smile, setting the now warmed plates on the table and pulling him into her arms, “I do too, I love him almost as much as you and Ellie do, especially since we now know the reasons behind his disappearances both back then and now were rooted in trying to protect our family. However, we have 10 days before the wedding, and we may just have to accept that we might not have him there and will have to resume the search afterward.”

“I hate that you’re right,” Chuck sighed, pulling her closer and resting his forehead on her shoulder, “I just really want him to be there. Tell you what, if we haven’t found him by next Thursday, we’ll call off the search until after the wedding. That will give us 48 hours to refocus on enjoying our wedding.”

“Deal,” Sarah smiled. Hearing and feeling Chuck’s stomach grumble against her stomach, her smile widened, “But first, we probably should feed the beast before your stomach sounds even more than the abominable snowman.”

“Okay,” Chuck nodded, stepping back and pulling out Sarah’s chair for her as he usually did, “Your seat milady.”

“Why, thank you, kind sir,” Sarah smiled up at him as he took his own seat next to her. They chatted amicably about their days and Molly as they ate. After dinner, Sarah shooed Chuck off to their office nook and set to washing the dishes and catching up on laundry which had been sorely neglected since Stephen’s disappearance.

“Hey, Baby, look at this,” Chuck pointed to the monitor of his computer when Sarah came into the room a couple hours later with a basket of clean clothes to fold.

“What?” Sarah joined him, reading the screen where he was pointing, “So the Starbright Drive-in up in Barstow is having a midnight showing of Tron on Saturday, are you wanting to go?”

“Sarah,” Chuck gave her an amused look, “The Starbright was abandoned years ago when I was a kid. The last movie I ever saw there was Tron with my dad when I was nine, just before my mom left. They were doing a sci-fi themed closing event that last month. I remember they’d shown the original Star Wars Trilogy the previous weekend and we’d literally camped out there. It was one of the last times I remember him being fully present with me. A week later, Mom left and he just… shut down.”

“I’m so sorry,” Sarah gave him a sad smile and sat in his lap, cuddling him a bit, “But what does that have to do with your search for your dad?”

“Well, as per your suggestion, I did with the typety-typety and the occasional sip of the Rombauer,” Chuck smirked, “And was able to find out that about five years ago a shell company with the wispiest of fine line ties to Ted Roark purchased some property in the middle of nowhere. As it turns out ‘middle of nowhere,’ was closer to Barstow. I think the midnight showing of Tron is my Dad trying to tell me where he is.”

“But wouldn’t they know what he’s up to with this?” Sarah challenged, “Assuming you’re correct, that is.”

“My father is as good, if not better, of a hacker as I am,” Chuck grinned, “Evidenced by how easily he hacked my computer to make contact.”

“You mean the computer he built and probably had already established a back-door to?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Okay, you have a point,” Chuck relented, “But Ted and the rest of his goon squad can’t hack their way out of a paper bag, let alone know when their system has been hacked or been used to hack.”

“So, what do you want to do?” Sarah asked.

“Since you, me, and Casey are the only ones who are Intersect-cleared, I think we should go up there and see if we can’t find a way to rescue him,” Chuck gave her a hopeful look.

“You can put away the big brown soulful puppy dog eyes,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “You had my cooperation from the start. It might be best to head up on Friday, do some recon, then try to get him on Saturday.”

“I agree, I’ll make the arrangements.” Chuck nodded, helping Sarah up from his lap and turning back to his computer, finding a rustic motel located about seven miles from the drive-in.”

“Make sure you put Casey in a room far from ours.” Sarah grinned mischievously as she folded one of Molly’s shirts and laid it on the bed.

“Why, Mrs. Carmichael,” He gave her a flirty grin, “Are you planning on taking advantage of your poor, defenseless hubby?”

“Is it really being taken advantage of if he’s begging for it?” Sarah smirked, “And believe me there will be some begging.”

“You are going to be the death of me, woman,” Chuck growled, typing in a few more commands, “Done, the place is practically empty, I hacked their system and put him up next to the office and put us in the more private cottages on the edge of the property. The only way to get him more out of the way would have been to put him at the USMC Logistic Base, but it’s just as small substation, I doubt they’d have space in their B.O.Q. to fit our dear Colonel.”

“You’re terrible,” Sarah chuckled, finishing folding the laundry and placing Molly’s things back in the basket to be put away the next day when it wouldn’t wake the sleeping girl.

“Yeah, but you love me anyway,” Chuck grinned pushing back from his desk.

“I most definitely do,” Sarah grinned, walking over to him and straddling his lap, “What are you going to do about it?” She whispered against his lips.

“I have a few ideas,” He smirked, lifting her easily, as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and carrying her to their bed where he threw her down, causing her to squeal and giggle in delight as he then jumped on top of her, catching himself on his arms so as to not crush her as he set to work peppering kisses along the column of her neck until she was the one begging for more.

~~~~~~~~~

At Casey’s suggestion, the team convoyed up that Saturday afternoon. Chuck and Sarah had checked a black Toyota Sequoia out from the motor pool and Casey followed in his Explorer, his tactical team would be following the next morning once they had a plan of action. The idea was to recon the Starbright Drive-in Theatre and see if they could determine whether or not Roark had moved operations there, and if so, why. Once Roark’s, and more importantly, Orion’s presence was confirmed, they would move in the next day to free Orion and capture Roark and any of his minions that might be on site.

Chuck and Sarah dropped Molly off with her aunt and uncle, kissing her goodbye and promising they would be home soon. They didn’t want to say they would be returning with Stephen just in case he wasn’t there or if, God forbid, something went sideways. Two hours later they were pulling into the motel, Chuck and Sarah arriving 45 minute later than Casey so as to not arouse suspicion.

An hour later, they were changed into tactical gear and riding out in Casey’s SUV to the Drive-in theater. Upon walking the grounds, Chuck not only found evidence of people recently being there but found the entrance to the underground base, as well. Casey had made a comment about him being the luckiest idiot ever recruited by the CIA, which Chuck took as a compliment. A quick trip down the rabbit hole confirmed Stephen’s presence there.

When they briefed the general about their plans for the next day, she informed them that whether or not they were successful, she was going to call in an airstrike at 20:00, so they damned well be out of the drop zone by 19:45 or they would be going home in coffee cans. Chuck tried to convince her that an air raid was a bad idea, but she refused to listen, not that ignoring Chuck’s input was anything new for the NSA director.

Casey excused himself to his room where he would conference with his tactical team and inform them of the plan of attack. Chuck and Sarah made quick work of cleansing themselves, and each other of the residual sand from their trek through the desert climbs of Barstow before heading to bed.

~~~~~~~~~

The next morning dawned bright as Chuck and Sarah spooned in the motel room bed. Sarah awoke to Chuck drowsily playing with her hand where their fingers were linked. Slowly his hands started to explore as they tended to do when they woke up together. Sarah slowly turned over and locked eyes with her fiancé. In the span of half a blink, they dove for each other, hands grasping, exploring and playing as lips and mouths dueled for control. She felt his hand on her thigh, playing with the edge of her panties just as her own slipped into his boxers, finding him more than ready for where this moment was clearly heading.

Just as Chuck moved to pull her panties down, a loud knock sounded at the door. “Gorram it!” Chuck huffed, leaning his head against her chest as he tried to get himself under control.

“Carmichael! Walker!” They heard Casey’s voice clear as a bell through the thin door, “Quick humping around and get your asses out here PDQ, we have a father to rescue!”

“He really has the most remarkable timing,” Chuck sighed, causing Sarah to roll her eyes. She gave him a small smile and kissed him softly before rolling out of bed and quickly dressing in her BDUs. Chuck soon followed, helping her to strap on her tactical vest before they grabbed their bags and headed outside to where Casey stood, impatiently waiting.

“When I said up and at ‘em at 08:30, that was not what I meant,” He smirked.

“Shut up, Casey,” Sarah growled climbing into the passenger seat of the Navigator.

“What got into her?” Casey asked, fully knowing why she was less than pleased at the moment with him.

“Quite literally, nothing,” Chuck muttered, as he slid behind the wheel of his and Sarah’s motor pool SUV. “Are you ready to go?” He checked, looking at his future bride.

“Let’s go get Stephen,” Sarah gave him a smile, “We have a little girl at home who is anxious to see her grandpa again.”

“Casey, we are heading out,” Chuck informed the older man over coms as he pulled out of the parking lot of the Motel.

Clearly, Roark was up to something, and it was happening soon. As Chuck and Sarah approached the Starbright, they noticed the lot actually had a few cars in it. It was looking like retrieving Stephen wasn’t going to be as easy as they’d originally thought. They met with Casey and the tactical team one last time before breaching the compound. Casey and the tactical team went one way, trying to round up as many of the ‘baddies’ as they could before alerting Roark and his main minions to their presence.

Sarah and Chuck quickly made their way through the catacombs of the base, following the heavy cable to where it ended by a large door. Sarah made quick work, picking the lock and swung the door open. Stephen J. Bartowski was leaned over a work bench which held the Intersect Cube and a laptop to which it was connected. He was rapidly typing commands into the laptop and gave no indication he was aware of their presence there.

“Dad,” Chuck called the older man quietly, causing him to look up, “We’re here to rescue you.”

“Is this the part where I say she’s a little short to be a storm trooper?” Stephen smirked.

“Not today, Dad,” Chuck shook his head, “Lets’ go.”

“I can’t,” Stephen protested, gesturing to his angle where a manacle had him chained to the floor by the desk.

“I can take care of that,” Sarah assured them. She ducked under the table, lock pick set in her hand, as she made quick work of the locking mechanism. Soon the distinct click of the manacle releasing its grip on the older man and falling to the floor could b heard.

“Let’s go!” Chuck pressed, “Before anyone realizes we’re here.”

“I’d say it’s a little late for that,” They heard a voice behind them. Turning, they found Ted Roark flanked by a scaled-down version of his brute squad. “You Bartowskis are like cockroaches, no matter how many times I get rid of you, you always seem to come back! It’s very annoying.”

“So sorry to inconvenience you,” Chuck snarked.

The goons grabbed Chuck, Sarah, and Stephen and marched them up to the projection booth where they were tied up. After struggling against their bonds for a moment, they realized that they weren’t going to go anywhere for a while. Chuck tried to hail Casey over coms, but either Casey had also been captured, couldn’t give away his position, or the coms were being jammed. The trio watched the shadows slowly move across the floor as the afternoon faded into early evening. Chuck and Sarah knew they would need to do something soon or else Beckman’s threat of going home in pieces would become a reality. Before they could make their move, Roark returned, and this time he had company.

A man roughly Roark and Stephen’s age, but a little shorter than them both, followed the tech mogul in. Behind him was a beautiful older woman with long dark hair and a dangerous look to her. Chuck’s eyes widened as he recognized the woman, but with one look from her, fell silent. Confusion racked his brain as he tried to figure out what she was doing here. Sarah looked between the confused look on Chuck’s face to the awed look on Stephen’s and wondered who could cause such a reaction from two of the most important men in her life. She met Chuck’s eyes in question, only to have him shake his head, a look in his eyes saying that he would explain later, if he had the chance.

“We came a long way to see this weapon of yours, Roark,” The new man spoke, his accent an odd blend of a melodious, Welsh accent and a harder Russian accent. The man was sharply dressed in a suit that brought to mind what Chuck always imagined 007 would have looked like as a retired man.

“Patience, Mr. Volkoff,” Roark tried to calm the man down, “I’ll show you what this baby does as soon as the rest of my team arrives. Ah, here’s some more of them now,” Ted smirked as a couple of his goons wrestled Casey into the room.

Twenty minutes later, several convertibles began to drive onto the lot, parking in even rows. Roark checked to make sure the projector and intersect cube were set up the way they needed to be and headed down to the small stage that stood before the large projection screen. He welcomed everyone who had come, playing the hype man as he did just before the RIOS launch. The drivers of the convertibles honked their horns and flashed their lights before rolling the tops of their cars back in unison. When Roark returned to the projection booth, he flipped the switch that started the cube spinning and the projector sputter to life.

Knowing what was coming next, Chuck yelled for everyone to close their eyes. He held Sarah’s hand tight as he heard movement behind him. His father murmured something then heard the older woman say something back. A moment later, he heard his father’s voice once more, “Open your eyes,” Stephen whispered to him, “It’s okay, I did this for you.”

Chuck nodded and hesitantly opened his eyes the pictures flickering on the screen held him enraptured. His hand tightened around Sarah’s as the presentation continued. An indeterminable time later, the projector stopped. Chuck stumbled back a little, feeling light-headed, “Wow, that was a rush.”

He could hear Roark in the corner of the booth pulling out a folder of pictures and documents. The older man’s excitement faded to frustration and disappointment. “It didn’t work!” He shouted, “You said it would work!” He charged Stephen, only to be stopped with a punch from Casey, who had broken free of his captors.

“No, I said I think it might work,” Stephen retorted, “And it did, only instead of implanting the intersect in your brain and those of your Fulcrum agents, it was designed to remove, or rather overwrite it in those who already had previous version; and I think it just might have.”

“What is going on?” The third man asked meekly, looking around, all traces of the Russian accent gone.

“Chuck,” Stephen turned to his son, “Do you know who that man is?”

Chuck looked at the man his father was pointing towards, the one standing next to the familiar older woman. He concentrated, trying to force a flash, but nothing came, not even a tingle. “No, I don’t recognize him. I’m guessing it worked?”

“Looks that way,” Stephen nodded, “Only one way to find out,” He turned to the same man, “Could you please introduce yourself and your lovely companion?”

“Stephen what the bloody hell are you talking about,” The man asked, confused, “You know who I am, and how do you not know your own wife? Are you completely at sixes and sevens?”

“Humor me,” Stephen nodded, “What is your name?”

“Only because it’s you,” He sighed, turning to Chuck and Sarah with a small bow, “Dr. Hartley Winterbottom MI:6 at your service. I work with your father, who, now that I’m looking at him, has inexplicably grown older.”

“You have too, my old friend,” Stephen smiled walking over to his friend, clapping him on the back and drawing him into a hug. “You’ve been gone a very long time.”

“How long?” Hartley asked.

“Twenty years,” Stephen informed him, “Something went wrong in the programing, and when Mary tried to activate the shutdown protocol, it didn’t work.”

“It’s coming back to me now,” Hartley gasped, “I was a monster! An I kept your Mary away from you, all this time, didn’t I?”

“It’s in the past now,” Stephen shook his head.

“I hate to break up this little family reunion,” Casey broke in, tapping his watch, “But if we don’t get a move-on, we will be no different than the sand around here.”

Chuck checked his watch, “There’s an air raid coming,” He translated to the older three in the room. “We gotta go.”

“Lead the way, Son,” Stephen grabbed the Intersect Cube and followed his son out of the building.

The group, along with the tactical team who had managed to capture Roark’s goon squad, and Casey who had Roark in custody, made their way back to the SUVs. There was a bus there as well to transport the prisoners to an underground facility until the CIA and NSA figured out what to do with them. As they sped down the highway away from the old drive-in, they heard the tell-tale rumble of fighter jets overhead and a moment later felt the ground shake and saw the smoke clouds from the air raid, obliterating the property and any remaining personnel who may have been hiding.

They didn’t stop until they had gotten back to Burbank. Chuck and Sarah had handed their gear over the Casey when they stopped at a rest area, and he’d taken it back to the office to catalog, clean, and store while Chuck, Sarah, Stephen, Mary, and Hartley continued on in Chuck and Sarah’s SUV to the Echo Park Condos. As they walked through the courtyard, Ellie’s door swung open.

“Dad!” She threw herself into his arms, “Oh my God, your back! And Chuck, and Sarah!” She let go of her father and turned to her younger brother and sister-in-law, enfolding them in her arms, Ellie joy pouring over them. Suddenly she paused, she stepped back, eyes wide as she turned toward the older woman with them, “Mom?”

“Hi, Sweetheart,” Mary gave her a soft smile.

Ellie looked at her mother dumbfounded, “I… wha… how…” She stammered.

“Why don’t we go inside?” Chuck suggested, “This has long story written all over it, and frankly, I want to see my daughter.”

“Wait, you have a daughter?!” Mary turned to her son.

“We have a daughter,” Chuck corrected, taking Sarah’s hand in his, “I think we all have some much needed explaining to do.”

“Babe, what is going on?” Devon stepped into the courtyard, taking in the group standing there, “Mr. B, glad to have you back! Chuckster and Sarah too!” Shook Stephen’s hand and gave Chuck a bro-hug and Sarah a brotherly hug, then stopped by Mary and Hartley, “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Devon Woodcomb, Ellie’s husband.”

“Devon, we were just about to head in,” Chuck explained, “Do you mind?”

“Yeah! Come on in, I’ll go put some coffee on, unless this is a whiskey kind of thing…” The doctor looked around the group.

“Why don’t I help you?” Sarah suggested, as Chuck guided Ellie back into her home and to a seat in the living room while the older half of their group followed suit, Sarah joined Devon in the kitchen. She had him brew some coffee as she brought out mugs, tumblers and some wine glasses to the kitchen table before returning with bottles of whisky, scotch, and wine. She poured her sister-in-law a large glass of wine, knowing it was the woman’s drink of choice. Mary, likewise, took her up on the offer of wine, and she poured one for herself as well. Chuck went upstairs only to return a moment later with Molly and Clara in his arms.

Once everyone had settled in the living room with their drinks and the girls were settled in their respective fathers’ laps, the story of the past 35 years began to unfold. Stephen introduced Devon to his wife and their friend, Hartley. He explained how Mary, who was a CIA agent, or had been when they first met after he had been recruited by the CIA as an asset to develop a way to store data, based on his thesis project for his doctorate. He told the story of how he and Mary eventually fell in love, got married and had Ellie and Chuck. Hartley joined the team about the time that Chuck was born and eight years later, they’d developed the first downloadable prototype of what would eventually become the Intersect. Hartley had volunteered to have the program, which was a personality matrix that was supposed to be temporary, downloaded into himself.

Mary was supposed to go with him to monitor him and start the shutdown protocol, but it hadn’t worked. They couldn’t leave Hartley without protection, or the world without some level of protection from Hartley, or Alexei Volkoff, as he assumed himself to be. Mary had to go dark and continue in her role as his protection until a solution could be found. No one had thought it would take 20 years.

Stephen told how he threw himself into his work, trying to put right what went wrong with the download. As time went on, the CIA and NSA started pushing for a working Intersect prototype, then Fulcrum found out about the project. “As you both know,” Stephen turned to his children, “I felt I had no choice but to leave in order to protect you. Fulcrum didn’t know that Orion had children, and I wanted to keep it that way.”

Chuck and Ellie nodded their understanding as he’d explained all this to them before. From there Ellie and Chuck picked up the story, alternating back and forth telling how their lives were since then. Ellie getting into Medical School, meeting, dating, and marrying Devon and having Clara a couple years later. Chuck told about getting a full ride to Stanford, getting recruited into the CIA, and how he had met Sarah and Molly on a plane back from their missions, not knowing who the other really was.

He told his Mom and Hartley about Bryce and how the intersect came to be downloaded into his brain. How it brought Sarah back into his life. Their whirlwind romance, their missions, their not-so-fake company cover, their dealings with Fulcrum while trying to balance providing as stable life for Molly. Culminating with their engagement and the events that led to where they were now.

“Mom,” Chuck looked at his mother, “Sarah and I are getting married next Saturday. We would love for you to be able to be there. You too, Hartley.”

“Of course, I want to be there,” Mary smiled at her son, “There is nothing I would like more. I’m sorry I’ve missed so much of both of your lives; I don’t want to miss any more. I think its bout time Frost officially retired, assuming I haven’t been completely blacklisted.”

“I think I can help with that, Mom,” Chuck assured her.

“How?” She asked, “You’re just an agent, you probably don’t have that kind of pull.”

“I have more influence than you think,” Chuck grinned, “You see, I have a particular set of skills, can find your file, wipe any suggestion of going rogue from the system, and reclassify your time away as a deep undercover op to take down Volkoff.”

“Mary, have you ever heard of Piranha?” Sarah asked her mother-in-law to be. Mary nodded and her eyes went wide as Sarah tilted her head toward Chuck with a knowing look.

“Charles Irving Bartowski!” Mary exclaimed.

“Oh boy,” Chuck groaned, “Mom, it’s fine, it’s sanctioned…now.” He turned to his fiancée and whispered, “Is it wrong that I just had an Ellie flashback with that?”

“She had to get it from somewhere,” Sarah snickered.

“What are you two whispering about over there?” Mary challenged.

“Ellie’s reaction was the exact same when she found out,” Chuck shrugged, “Full name and everything.”

The family sat around talking a while longer until Molly began to twist her hair around her little finger, and indication that she was tired. Both Chuck and Sarah knew that if they didn’t get her to bed soon, they’d be dealing with a meltdown. Devon and Ellie agreed that it was about that time for their daughter as well. The girls were passed around for hugs and kisses from the grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Devon excused himself to go upstairs to put Clara down. Chuck and Sarah left soon after to put Molly to bed and get some sleep themselves after the long several days they’d had.

“We have two guest rooms, right now. Clean towels in the bathroom, and clean sheets in the linen closet” Ellie informed the remaining adults, awkwardly, Dad you are welcome to stay in the room you were in. The other guest room is across the hall, and of course the couch is available if it’s needed. I don’t know how you want to work out the sleeping arrangements between the three of you, but I’ll leave it to you to figure out. I’m going to go to bed, this night has been… interesting, to say the least, and I’m exhausted. I hope to see you all in the morning.” She gave her father and mother a hug before giving Hartley a small smile and heading upstairs to join her husband in bed.

It didn’t take long for Stephen and Mary to come to the conclusion they had been apart too long and while it may take a while to get back to where they once were, the were comfortable sharing the bed in what had come to be known as Stephen’s room with Hartley taking the other guest room. Once arrangements had been agreed on, they shuffled off to bed.


	37. Chapter 37

The morning of the wedding dawned clear and bright. Sarah, Ellie, and the girls had spent the night at Maison23 after Ellie insisted that the bride and groom shouldn’t see each other the day of the wedding until the bride made her entrance. Since the hotel was out of cribs and only had rooms with one king bed, Ellie and Sarah slept with the girls laying between them. Of course, this resulted in them waking up with elbows, heels, and knees in their side and the cousins in a tangled mess come morning.

“Good morning,” Ellie smiled and handed Sarah a cup of coffee. She had awoken first and, placing a few pillows along the edge of the bed to prevent the girls from rolling of the other side, had already showered and gotten coffee for the adults. “Are you excited?”

“Yes and no,” Sarah shrugged, sipping her coffee, “I can’t wait to be Mrs. Charles Irving Bartowski, but on so many levels it already feels like I am.”

“In all the important ways you have been for a while, even if I was too stubborn to see it at first,” Ellie smiled at her friend. “To be honest, when I got married, I was too stressed out to really enjoy it. Devon’s parents were so overbearing with the planning that they practically leached all the joy out of the event. I wish I could have allowed myself to be as calm back then as you are now.”

“I don’t know if calm is really the best word to describe how I am right now,” Sarah gave her a soft smile, “Happy, at peace, loved, and so much more.”

“I’m glad that you are,” Ellie grinned, “Now get your butt out of bed and into the shower. Mom and Dad will be here any minute to get the girls while we get ready for today. They’ll meet us at the church later.”

“I hope you don’t mind, but I invited Alex to join us,” Sarah gave Ellie an apologetic look as she grabbed her clothes for the day. “She and Morgan seem to be getting serious, so chances are she’ll be around for a while.”

“Why would I mind?” Ellie asked, “I love her, and she’s actually calmed Morgan down some. I mean he was already on his way, especially once his step-dad promoted him to Assistant Manager at the BuyMore, but he’s really stepped up since going back to school and meeting her. I can actually stand to be around him now.”

“I still can’t believe Casey has a daughter that is nearly our age,” Sarah shook her head in disbelief, “I mean I know we’ve known about her for almost a year now, but it’s still so strange to think that he actually was involved with a woman long enough to produce a kid or that, if he hadn’t been recruited to the NSA and had to fake his own death, he’d be married by now.”

“I’m not,” Ellie shook her head, when Sarah gave her a questioning look, she continued, “John is a relatively charming and attractive man. If I was ten years older, and didn’t have Devon, I’d definitely be interested in him.”

“Really?” Sarah quirked an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Ellie nodded emphatically, “Maybe you just can’t see it because you know him as a colleague and pseudo big brother type figure, but I don’t see him that way. He’s always just been John, the guy my brother works with. And have you seen his eyes, they’re so pretty, I’ve always had a thing for men with pretty eyes… it’s what originally attracted me to Devon.”

“Devon I can see, but I don’t think you’re ever going to sell me on Casey,” Sarah chuckled and shook her head. “In any event, Alex should be here before we leave for the salon.”

“Well, if you are going to shower before she gets here, you’d better go now.” Ellie pushed Sarah toward the bathroom. “I’ll get the girls dressed and ready for Grandma and Grandpa.”

“Alright, alright,” Sarah huffed good naturedly and ducked into the bathroom, barely missing being hit by a plush llama that had hopped a ride in Clara’s diaper bag. Twenty minutes later, Sarah came back, her still damp hair pulled back in a ponytail. She wore a pair of sneakers, medium wash jeans, and one of Chuck’s button-down shirts with the sleeves rolled up to her forearm. She smiled as she realized that Ellie had stolen one of Devon’s shirts and had dressed very similarly the only exception being that she was wearing ballet flats rather than sneakers.

Alex showed up, dress over her arm, and the women couldn’t help but laugh when they realized that she had the exact same thought they’d had and stolen one of Morgan’s BuyMore dress shirts. When Stephen and Mary arrived, the girls were so excited to see their grandparents that they practically dove out of their mothers’ arms and into the arms of the elder Bartowskis.

“Well they aren’t excited to see us at all,” Stephen quipped, kissing Molly on her cheek, eliciting a giggle from the little girl.

“She is definitely a Daddy’s girl,” Sarah snickered, “Which has apparently translated into being a grandpa’s girl as well.”

“Hey, I’m not complaining,” Stephen smiled, “Between you, Ellie, Mary, and the girls, I’m surrounded by beautiful women. I’m a very lucky man.”

“We should probably get going,” Mary cut in, “I’m sure you girls have appointments you need to keep. We’ll meet you at the church.”

“The girls’ dresses are at my place,” Ellie reminded her parents, “Devon said that he and Chuck would be in one of the condos getting ready.”

“Understood,” Mary gave a quick nod before turning to the girls in hers and her husband’s arms, “You ready to have some fun with Grandma and Grandpa?” The girls cheered and clapped their hands.

Sarah and Ellie kissed their daughters goodbye, hugged the older couple, and watched them head down the hall. A few moments later, another knock sounded on the door. A driver with a dark suit and chauffeur’s cap on stood on the other side. He informed them that he’d been hired by a Mr. Carmichael to drive them around. The women grabbed their purses and followed him down to the waiting limo. As the car pulled away from the hotel, the women discovered champagne and enjoyed a glass on their way to the salon and spa where they would be spending the first half of their day.

Upon arrival, they were greeted by the receptionist and were informed someone would be with them shortly. To Sarah and Ellie’s surprise, Chuck, Devon, and the elder Bartowskis had conspired to give them the full treatment. They had thought they were only going to hang out in the sauna before being taken over to get their hair and nails done for the day. Instead they were taken into a private lounge that was to be theirs for the day. Mary had even gone back to the hotel and retrieved Sara, Ellie, and Alex’s dresses from where they’d hung in the closet. Since the driver had taken the very scenic route to the salon and spa, she had time to deliver the dresses to their private room.

The rest of the morning was spent sipping mimosas as they rotated through getting massages, and facials after which they’d been served a light lunch of sandwiches, compliments of Lou who joined them to get their hair and nails done. Before they knew it, it was time to get ready for the big event. Since Morgan was going to be in the wedding, Alex had been asked to be a bridesmaid. Luckily it didn’t take long to track down a dress similar to Ellie’s maid of honor dress. Instead of being royal blue like Ellie’s it was more of a sky blue.

Once the other women were dressed, it was time for Sarah to get dressed. She’d already kicked off her sneakers and jeans so that she could strap on the heeled sandals she would wear beneath her gown and slid her garter up her leg. Lou and Alex laughed at how high she’d placed it and Ellie just rolled her eyes and shook her head. Once Sarah had removed the shirt she’d been wearing the women helped her into her dress. As Ellie fastened the small buttons that ran down the back, Sarah couldn’t help but notice how much better it looked than when she’d first worn it all those months ago.

“It seems prettier because this time it’s for real,” Ellie advised her, fastening the last button and hugging her from behind. “Now where did we put your veil?” She spotted the mesh headpiece on a nearby table, “Never mind, I found it!” Ellie quickly attached the veil underneath where Sarah’s hair had been pulled up in a stylized knot of curls at the crown of her head. The veil was two tiered so that the top layer could be pulled up and over her head as a blusher which fell to just above her bust line and the bottom layer fell to just below her waist.

A knock sounded on the door and Lou went to answer. One of the desk agents was on the other side, informing them that their driver had arrived for them. She hugged them and headed back to her car to drive to the reception hall to do a last-minute check on the catering she was providing as a gift to the happy couple, insisting that she could do more than sandwiches, salads, and soups. As soon as she headed out, Sarah, Ellie, and Alex gathered their garment bags along with the clothes they’d worn to the spa and headed toward the limo.

The driver couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head, as he saw the ladies approach, and opened the trunk to store their things. “You do know someone was going to come back for your things later.” He explained.

“Yeah, well, we all wore pretty similar things today and didn’t want them to accidentally be returned to the wrong house.” Ellie explained.

“Whatever you say, ma’am,” The driver gave them an indulgent smile as he assisted first Sarah then Ellie and Alex into the limo and headed to Pasadena and the church Sarah had grown up in until the day she left to travel with her father.

When the limo pulled up to the church, they were greeted by the parents. Ellie and Alex exited first. Stephen assisted Sarah out of the car while her attendants guided her train out of the door so they could hold it up off the ground until they were inside. Sarah gave Stephen a warm smile as she linked her arm through his as he guided her up the steps to the foyer of the church and into the prayer room, which was serving as the bride’s room for the day. He kissed her on the cheek, as did Mary and they left to greet the guests who were still arriving for the wedding.

They could vaguely hear music coming from the sanctuary as guests were arriving. The women were doing one last hair and makeup check when they heard a knock on the door. Alex answered, since Ellie was doing one last spot check on Sarah’s veil to make sure it was pinned enough that it wouldn’t fall during the wedding or reception. Sarah smiled at her mother through the mirror as the older woman entered.

“You ready for this, Sweetheart?” Emma asked, walking over to Sarah and placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah,” Sarah nodded, standing and turning toward her mother, “Are you ready to give me away?”

“Yes,” Emma smiled warmly up at her, placing a hand on her cheek, “I know traditionally the father of the bride walks the bride down the aisle, or she walks alone, are you sure you still want me to give you away? You can always walk by yourself, or I’m sure Mr. Casey would happily oblige if you asked.”

“Mom, our family has never been traditional,” Sarah chuckled, “I want you to walk me down the aisle. Mary can handle the ovation. How much time do we have?”

“The last of the guests are being seated now,” Emma advised, “Chuck is in the foyer right now, waiting to walk his parents in. Your friends Scott and Lou have the girls and are seated already. They look adorable in their little flower girl outfits.”

Sarah and Ellie had decided to dress the girls up in white dresses with tulle skirts edged in satin. Since the girls were still too young to actually drop petals as flower girls, they were sitting with their ‘Auntie Lou and Uncle Scotty’ for the wedding and would be handed over to their grandparents for the reception. They heard the music change and a few moments later there was another knock on the door; this time it was Devon.

“Is it that time?” Ellie asked, seeing her husband at the door.

“Yep, they’re calling us to line up,” Devon confirmed. The women and their escorts gathered in the foyer where all the sanctuary doors had been closed and started to line up, first Morgan and Alex, followed by Devon and Ellie, Sarah and her mom stood over to the side so that they would not be seen when the bridal party made their way into the church.

“This is it!” Emma beamed as she helped Sarah lower her veil over her face. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Sarah smiled down at her mother as she settled her bouquet in her left hand and linked her right arm with her mom’s left. The wedding march started as the doors to the sanctuary opened and they started their way down the aisle toward the dais where the pastor and Chuck were waiting.

Sarah couldn’t help but smile at the awestruck look in Chuck’s face, she almost laughed when she watched Devon lean over and whisper something in Chuck’s ear as Chuck slowly closed his gaping mouth, but the look of pure love and adoration remained in his eyes. She saw Devon and Ellie share a look as well, Devon looking from his brother-in-law to his wife who shrugged and rolled her eyes at her brother’s response before turning her attention back to Sarah and Emma’s progression up the aisle.

Chuck had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life as the vision that Sarah presented walking down the aisle to him. The dress looked familiar to him; he was pretty sure that it was the same dress she’d worn for the Meadow Branch mission. Even under the veil she wore, she was radiating, a broad smile on her lips and love in her eyes which never left his as she made her way toward him. He was absolutely gobsmacked by her beauty.

“Pick your jaw up off the floor, Bro,” Devon whispered, causing Chuck to realize he’d been staring at his bride, with his mouth agape. With a wry smirk, he slowly closed his mouth and waited as patiently as he could for Emma to deliver Sarah to his waiting arms.

In a moment lasting both an eternity and a split second all at once, Sarah was standing before him, smiling that amazing smile of hers. He barely registered the pastor greeting the congregation and asking who presented the bride. Emma answered a quietly confident, “I do,” before handing her daughter over to the man she loved.

The pastor read a few verses from the Bible regarding the qualities and characteristics of love before speaking on the benefits and challenges of marriage between two parties who freely give themselves to each other. He had the couple join hands and turn toward each other to recite their vows. Sarah handed her bouquet over to Ellie who gave her a soft smile before turning back to Chuck and placing both hand in his larger ones. When the pastor invited her to speak she cleared her throat and spoke as honestly as she could.

“I have never been one to put too much faith in love and marriage,” Sarah started, “My father claimed to love my mom, but he just left one day. He would return with apologies and platitudes, he made his life seem so exciting and enticing, that I decided to join him. Looking back, I can see it was one of the worst, and at the same time one of the best decisions I’ve ever made as it was what set me on my path toward everything that I never knew I wanted or needed. I have been pretty much on my own from that point on, even when I was helping my dad ‘work.’ I was so used to doing everything myself, but a little over a year ago, my life started to change. When I realized that life is not meant to be lived alone and that there is no shame in reaching out. It started the day I became a mother; I was so overwhelmed. Suddenly, I had this little girl who was relying on me to keep her safe, fed, cared for, and most importantly loved. I knew something had to give, it began with a few phone calls, the first to my mom, the next to someone who could help me in getting back to where I belonged. I thought I was doing okay for a couple days, and then this most amazing, confusing, and intriguing man came into my life, claiming to be my husband and saying the most loaded and reassuring phrase I’ve ever heard in my life. He just smiled at me and whispered, ‘Just go with it.’ This has been a recurring theme in our lives since then, when our lives bring us change, we choose to ‘Just go with it.’ When we are scared, or challenged, we continue to ‘Just go with it,’ until we make it through to the other side together.

“Chuck, you are a gift. One I never knew I needed or wanted.” She squeezed his hands and gave him a soft smile which he returned, “You are a loving father, a faithful partner, a support in both good times and bad. You make me laugh when I’m upset, hold me when I need comforting, and keep me calm when everything seems to be spiraling out of control. You have been a great force for change in my life since the day we met, you challenge me when I need it, all the while supporting and loving me through it all. It has been this way since that fateful day in Paris, you were a breath of fresh air, and a light not only to me, but to Molly, and everyone you come into contact with. Over the course of an 11 hour flight, you made me fall in love with you without even meaning to. Words cannot describe how elated I was to have found your again nearly a month later. You have been by my side ever since, you are the partner I never realized I wanted, and the best father I could ever ask of having for my daughter. Today is the day we make it all real. Today I take you as my husband and the father of our current and any future children we may have. Our life has never been easy, but nothing worth having ever is. I can promise you that through it all, I will be right her, beside you through it all. I love you, Charles Irving Bartowski, more than you can ever possibly know.”

The pastor turned to Chuck, indicating it was his turn to speak. “How am I supposed to follow that?” He gave her a bemused smile, causing the congregation to chuckle a bit at him, “I had this whole long speech written, I’d even scheduled in breaks for applause and a costume change, but I know now I’m going to have to scrap all of it and go with this. Sarah, you are the most amazing woman I have ever met, and I was raised by two pretty amazing women, so that’s really saying something. From the day I met you, I have been in awe of you. You are so strong and have such a great capacity to love, who else would have taken Molly in the way you have?”

Sarah grinned and whispered, “You.” The pastor’s microphone picked it up, causing a round of ‘awes’ and chuckles from their friend and family.

“You literally saved that girl’s life, and I can’t imagine a better mother for her than you.” Chuck continued, “I can’t wait to meet the brothers and sisters we will give her. I have this picture in my mind of our kids in capes like little superheroes. They will be so lucky to have you, I know I am. I really don’t know what else to say other than I will spend every day I have with you showing you how much you mean to me, to our family, how truly wonderful you are. There are no words that can describe the depth of my love for you, so I will start with ‘I love you,’ and go from there. I don’t know how I got so lucky as to have you in my life, while neither of us are perfect, you are as close as it gets for me.”

The pastor cleared his throat both to regain his composure and to capture the couple’s focus for the next part of the ceremony. Turning to Devon, and then to Ellie, he requested the rings, which were produced from Devon’s little finger and Ellie’s thumb, respectively. He went on to explain the symbolism behind the traditional wedding band. The never-ending circle of the band being a representation of how love is eternal and has been since the beginning of time. He then handed the rings to the couple to place on each other’s fingers, both repeating after him, “This ring is an outward symbol of my love for you. Please accept this ring and my love for you as I accept you as my husband/wife until death parts us.”

The pastor then proceeded to bless their union before ending with the proclamation that what God had brought together no man could separate. He then announced them as husband and wife before turning to Chuck and informing him he could now kiss his bride. A loud roar of applause and cheers went up from the congregation. Sarah could feel Chuck’s smile against her lips before he pulled away slightly and kissed her neck where it met her shoulder, wrapping one arm around her back and one around her waist and dipping her to the side like a sailor on VD day. It was now her turn to laugh out from his antics. When he returned her to her feet, the pastor announced them as Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bartowski as the recessional music started up.

Chuck looked down at his bride, who had turned back momentarily to retrieve her bouquet from Ellie and offered his hand to her. As soon as his fingers closed around her smaller hand, they ran down the aisle as their guests cheered them on. They waited in the foyer for the rest of their bridal party to join them along with their parents, Molly and Clara who were eventually passed from Lou and Scott to their respective fathers. The guests wished them best wishes and congratulations as they departed the church. A photographer had been stationed outside of the church where the guests had now gathered waiting for Chuck and Sarah to exit the church. As they made their way to the limo that would take them to where their wedding photos would be taken, the guests blew bubbles at them, much to the delight of their daughter and niece who clapped and giggled at the soapy spheres that now floated around them.

Since the majority of the family pictures had been taken during their photo shoot, they were able to just get a few shots of the full wedding party so as to include Alex and Morgan before continuing on to the reception hall. The hall was beautifully decorated, there was a large dance floor in the center with a rectangular head table for the wedding party, round tables were staggered along the sides of the dance floor. A deejay booth was in a corner of the room across from the head table, where the deejay was playing quiet music so their guests could talk amongst themselves. Lou had set up a pasta bar along a side wall, complete with salad and bread. There was a bar set up a few feet from Lou’s buffet and guests were milling around, waiting for the bridal party to arrive.

They entered to thunderous applause and cheering for the new couple. Once the cheering calmed down, the deejay invited the bridal party and their parents to get their food followed by the rest of the guests. As dinners were coming to an end, Emma was handed a microphone. “Good evening” She greeted everyone, “On behalf of Stephen, Mary, and myself; we would like to thank you for coming to Chuck and Sarah’s wedding. I have watched as these two have grown both individually and together over the past 10 months or so. I remember the day Sarah came home last year, a baby girl in her arms. I knew something had changed for her, and it wasn’t that she was a new mom. There was a look in her eye that I had never seen there before, it’s a look that grew stronger three weeks later when she was sent to meet with a colleague, and stronger still every day since.

“For those of you who don’t know, Sarah and Chuck met in Paris, on an airplane of all places. She was coming back from picking up Molly, Chuck was on his way back from a business trip. Somewhere between soothing Molly’s sore ears from her first ever flight, and the long flight back to the states, the seed was planted. Thankfully, once they reconnected, it didn’t take long for them to come to the logical conclusion that they were to be a family. I am proud of the woman my daughter has become, and of the man she has chosen to spend her life with. These two young people adopted their daughter with no questions asked, just so they could provide her a safe and loving home. Chuck and Sarah, may your lives together never be boring, may your home ever be filled with love, laughter, and hope. And for the love of all things holy, give us some more grandbabies!”

Mary and Stephen added in a, “Hear, hear!” Which caused the guests to start laughing at the older members of the Bartowski & Novak/Walker family.

“To Chuck and Sarah,” Emma raised to glass and led the party in drinking to the newlywed’s future.

Emma handed the microphone to Ellie as she went back to take her seat as the younger woman rose to her feet. “As Maid of Honor, as well as one of the women who raised Chuck, I have been asked to say a few words. I am Chuck’s older sister, and no, I am not going to say by how much, but I have watched him turn into the man he is today. True there were some bumps in the road, like when he tore the heads off of my Barbie dolls, you still owe me a Skipper Doll, by the way.”

“I’ll buy one for Clara when she’s old enough and you can share,” Chuck shot back, causing the guests to snicker.

“Or when our parents’ work took them away from us. Still we were and are always there for each other.” Ellie smiled at her younger brother, “You are a remarkable man, Chuck Bartowski, by junior year, you had already caught the eyes of the powers that be at Stanford, enough that they offered you a full-ride scholarship when you were ready to attend college. You started a cyber security firm that for a long time was comprised of exactly one employee, you. Somehow, you managed to meet and fall in love with the perfect woman for you in a who other country only to return to Burbank and meet up with her once again and start your own family with her all while actively expanding your business. You took Sarah and Molly into your life, no questions asked, and immediately started loving them as a husband and a father should.

“I watched you give guidance, protection, and support to so many around you, occasionally at the physical detriment to your own person,” Ellie’s eyes drifted towards Morgan, “You always stop to help anyone who is in need. You love without ceasing, you give freely of yourself, and you forgive easily, sometimes too easily, but that’s not a bad thing. All these attributes were built into you like the language module of a protocol droid.” The guests laughed lightly, “You were born to be a great husband, a great father, and a protector, even if I didn’t always see it. You were made to be Sarah’s husband, a father to Molly and any other little ones you and Sarah bring into our family. Sarah, you picked a really good one when your chose my brother. Even though we didn’t start well, I’m proud to call you my sister and to have you call me yours. You are an amazing woman, you are fearless, strong inside and out, relentless when pursuing a goal, and you love unreservedly, you are a perfect match for my brother. I love you both so much. Chuck and Sarah; may your lives always be full of joy and may you never stop fighting for each other, alongside with one another, rarely with each other, but always towards the common goal of reaching your forever. To the happy couple!”

Ellie then handed the microphone to Devon who turned and handed it to Morgan, ignoring the confused and annoyed look his wife sent him as Morgan caught everyone’s attention. “Chuck and I have been heterosexual life partners since the first grade, practically inseparable. Growing up, having the interests we had did not earn us many favors among the ‘popular crowd.’ In fact, it tended to paint targets on our backs, Chuck never let it get him down. He would always stand up for me when bullies came to steal my lunch money or mess with me. Something you need to keep in mind is that Chuck was not always the strapping young man you see before you, he was, for lack of a better term, a bean pole who, even in high school was never much more than a buck thirty-five soaking wet. This,” He gestured to Chuck’s physique, “Didn’t happen until much later thanks to a challenge set forth by his frat buddies, and more specifically his roommate and other best friend, Bryce, who I’m actually surprised is not here today. Life took us in different directions after high school, and especially after he graduated college. I stayed here, rose up the ranks at the BuyMore while he traveled the world, protecting it, one server at a time before returning here to stay. Chuck, you have it all, man. The smoking hot wife, no disrespect Sarah, a beautiful daughter, and a successful business. All you’re missing is the house and the dog which, if I know you, is probably in the works as we speak. Sarah, you found yourself a good one, don’t ever let him go, not that he would ever want to leave you, because that would be crazy. I love your both and that little girl of yours. I wish your family the greatest happiness, I only hope someday to find the love and happiness you have. Although,” he glanced at Alex, “I suspect I’m not too far from the mark. To Chuck and Sarah, Han, I’m so glad you found your Leia.”

“Thanks, Chewy,” Chuck beamed at his best friend as he stood and gave the shorter man a hug and took the microphone from him. He quickly thanked their friends and family who had joined them on behalf of Sarah and himself before handing the microphone back to the deejay who promptly announced it was time for the first dance of the evening.

Chuck led Sarah out on the floor, leading her in a practiced Viennese Waltz to Otis Redding’s ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is,’ Ending with a low dip to the applause, cheers, and whistles of their guests. Once Sarah was seated again, Chuck gave his mother a warm smile as he crossed to her, offering his hand to her. Mary looked at her son, surprised, as having parent dances had not been discussed since Sarah’s father was not in the picture and they had only just found Mary the previous week. “Trust me,” Chuck assured her, wrapping his arm around her waist and enclosing her right hand in his as ‘Unforgettable’ by Nat King Cole stated playing.

There were a few times he could have sworn his mother was crying or very close to, but a few blinks and no tears remaining in evidence made him second guess himself until the song ended and he led her back to her own seat and kissed her cheek as Stephen handed her his handkerchief before heading over to the head table, holding his hand out to Sarah. Sarah looked just as surprised at Stephen’s offer as Mary had at Chuck’s. As the Bartowski patriarch guided her onto the floor, a bluesy song began. By the time he had pulled her into his arms and began to foxtrot around the floor with her, she recognized it as ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ by Frank Sinatra.

She had to smile as the memory of Chuck dancing with her and their daughter several times over the past several months sprang to mind. The album must have originally been his dad’s as she couldn’t help but grin at Stephen singing along with the song as he led her around the floor.

“You know, this is one of Chuck’s favorite songs,” She commented as they swayed along with the music. “He dances with Molly and me to it.”

“That may be partly my fault,” Stephen blushed, “He grew up watching me pull Mary around the kitchen to it.”

“Then I guess I have you to thank,” Sarah beamed up at the older man, “You set a good example for him.”

“I can’t take all the credit,” Stephen shook his head, “I think that was mostly Eleanor’s doing.”

“Maybe, but you set the foundation,” She shrugged as he spun her around and gathered her back in his arms. “He’s a god man, your son. I’m proud to call him my husband and the father of my child… From what I’ve seen, he gets it from his father.”

“Thank you, Sarah,” He blushed again.

“He gets that from you too,” Sarah chuckled, laying her head on his shoulder, “I’m glad we were able to find you and Mary in time for the wedding. I know Chuck and Ellie are glad to have you both back in their lives.”

“We’re not quite out of danger yet,” Stephen reminded her, “But I think it’s finally safe enough for us to be around more often.”

“That’s good to hear,” Sarah smiled up at him, “Not only for Chuck and Ellie but for Molly and Clara as well.”

Stephen nodded as they swayed to the music which was drawing to a close. On the last note, Stephen stepped back and kissed Sarah’s hand before tucking it into the crook of his arm and guiding her over to where Chuck stood, waiting for them. The deejay picked up the beat a little inviting all the guests to get out on the dance floor. Sarah and Chuck danced most of the night together, but on occasion they would switch partners.

Once dinner had been effectively burned off, the deejay announced it was time to cut the wedding cake. A small table was rolled out with a three-tier cake covered in white fondant and blue sugar flowers, on the top sat a wedding topper. As Chuck and Sarah drew closer, the details became clearer. It depicted a blonde bride with the left side of her dress gathered up, revealing a thigh holster, in her left hand she held what looked like a knife, the other held the hand of a small blonde girl. The Bride figurine was back to back with the groom figurine, which depicted a man with dark hair and a tuxedo, in his hands he held a pistol. They looked at each other before Sarah turned her gaze to Ellie, “Why do I have a feeling you had something to do with this?”

“Because I did,” Ellie smirked, “Had to special order it, the original design had the bride also carrying a gun, but since I knew that your knives are your weapon of choice, I found someone who would make custom pieces. I couldn’t help but have them include Molly, too.”

“Ellie, not everyone knows what we do,” Sarah spoke quietly.

“Meh,” Ellie waved her off, “Those who do know will get it, everyone else knows that Chuck is a James Bond and Charlie’s Angels fan and will probably chalk it up to that.”

“It’s a little on the nose, Elle,” Chuck commented, “But I like it; thanks, Ellie.”

“You’re welcome, little brother,” Ellie smiled, handing him a knife, “I’m pretty sure Sarah knows what to do with this.” She grinned knowingly, causing the newlyweds to roll their eyes.

Sarah took the knife from him as he adjusted his hand to wrap around hers where it held the handle of the knife. They cut the cake together then took turns feeding the small piece to each other despite many of the guests encouraging them to smash the dessert in their spouse’s face. The hotel staff took the cake away to slice up and hand out to the guests who either chose to sit patiently at their tables or enjoy a little more dancing until the dessert was served.

A short time later came the bouquet and garter tosses. Sarah’s was pretty simple, with Alex catching the bouquet, much to the dismay of her father. Chuck had quickly assured him that Morgan was nowhere near ready to make that commitment, fully knowing that his little buddy would have told him first.

When it was Chuck’s turn, he took his time, running his hand up both of Sarah’s legs, teasing her by his touch and once he ducked more fully under her skirt, his breath on her thighs, claiming he wanted to make sure he had the right garter. By the time Chuck had ‘found’ his wife’s garter, she was nearly undone and her makeup barely concealed the flush that spreading across her cheeks. Chuck turned towards the men gathered at the opposite end of the dance floor and pulled the elastic taught as if to slingshot it to them but at the last minute, changed his aim to being skyward, and catching it himself. “Sorry guys, I think I’m gonna keep it for myself,” He shrugged with a cheeky grin, “Now if you would excuse us, I think it’s about time we were headed out.”

Chuck turned to his bride, offering his hand to her and helping her to stand from her chair. As he guided her across the floor to the exit, he heard the sound of someone clinking their glass with one of their utensils. Turning, they saw Ellie standing at the head table glass in one hand, fork in the other, tapping the glass, a mischievous smirk on her face as the rest of the bridal party, then the parents, and the rest of their guests joined in the cacophony. Chuck turned to his bride, an eye brow quirked at her as if to ask, “Should we indulge them?”

He could almost hear Sarah’s response of, “Let’s give ‘em a show they won’t ever forget,” in her answering look as he took her in his arms, and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. She smiled against his mouth and returned the kiss with fervor, the kiss building until it was bordering the very fine line between what was expected of them and indecent for public consumption. They went on like this until they heard Ellie call out over the crowd that they’d made their point. They broke the kiss, smiling and laughing together as Chuck took Sarah’s hand once more and guided her out of the ballroom and up to the suite they’d reserved for the night.


	38. Chapter 38

The honeymoon had been everything they wanted it to be. The view from their villa was beautiful. The private beach was peaceful, and there were plenty of things to do around the island on the rare occasion they left their room. After two weeks, they were missing their family and were excited to get home and finally make their family complete. Molly’s adoption hearing was scheduled on Tuesday, which had allowed them to arrive back in LA on Saturday, have Sunday and Monday to recover from their trip, and make themselves presentable for court. For Sarah it was as simple as making sure she wore a nice dress and curled her hair. For Chuck, however, it involved shaving off the vacation beard he’d grown and, much to Sarah’s sorrow, get a haircut as his curls had gone more than a little wild in the time leading up to their wedding and continued during their honeymoon trip.

Sarah was still adjusting to not having as many curls to run her fingers through after her husband’s return from the barber left his hair short on the side and with only the top of his hair to fall in more controlled thick waves until it grew out enough to start curling again. She exited the bathroom, hair done, make up impeccable, and wearing a knee-length, sapphire blue, wrap dress with short sleeves which showed off her new tan. Chuck was in the bedroom, jacket of his charcoal suit laying on the bed as he stood in front of the vanity mirror attached to Sarah’s dresser, tying his red and grey plaid tie... or at least attempting to.

“Could you come help me with this?” He cast a look over his shoulder.

“Let me see it,” Sarah stood in front of him, undoing is attempt and straightening out the fabric in preparation to start tying the tie around his neck. She paused a moment, taking in the light blue dress shirt he was wearing with his charcoal slacks. She let her eyes drift down, taking in the black belt around his waist and the black dress shoes on his feet and tilted her head, evaluating him for a moment before pulling the thin fabric from where it was looped around his neck. She tossed the tie on the dresser, unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, and adjusted his collar so it didn’t look to stiff, “You don’t need the tie, the suit and dress shirt are enough, I think.”

“I’m going to have to defer to your greater fashion sense,” Chuck leaned down to kiss his wife, God did he love calling her that, before collecting his jacket and sliding it on over his broad shoulders. “In case I forget to say it, you look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Sarah smiled at him from the dresser where she was putting in her earrings. “Are you ready to go?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Chuck gave her smile that made it clear he was barely containing his excitement. Sarah couldn’t help but smile back at him as they made their way back down the hall toward the living room where Molly was playing as her grandparents watched on lovingly. Stephen had worn a dark suit with a sage shirt and dark grey tie, Mary wore black slacks and a black blouse with a large floral print. The older pair stood as Chuck walked over to scoop up his daughter.

Sarah had ducked into Molly’s room to double check the contents of the diaper bag as Chuck went to pick up their daughter from where she sat playing. Assuming it was his sister and brother-in-law meeting them to caravan to the courthouse, Chuck went to answer. Upon opening the door, he was given the shock of his life.

“Hey, Chuck,” The dark-haired man grinned up at him, “Miss me?”

“Bryce?” Chuck gasped, “What are you doing here? I thought you were in a coma?”

“I woke up,” Bryce shrugged, “You have a kid.”

“What are you doing here?” Chuck asked again.

“Chuck?” Bryce heard a female voice from behind his friend, “Aren’t you going to invited them in?”

“Yeah, Chuck,” Bryce smirked, “Aren’t you going to let me in?”

Chuck rolled his eyes and opened the door a little wider, stepping aside to allow Bryce to enter. Bryce gave Chuck a small nod as he walked past him and into the condo just as Sarah was returning to the living room, diaper bag over her shoulder. Bryce looked in confusion from Sarah to Chuck then to the little girl in Chuck’s arms. “Holy shit, Dude!” Bryce’s eyes widened as he realized what he was seeing.

“Bryce,” Sarah scolded, “Watch your language!”

“You’re joking right?” Bryce looked between the pair, “I mean they did a real good job; they even found a…” It was then he realized there were two other people in the room and shut his mouth, not wanting to do more damage to his friend’s cover.

“Would you mind introducing us, Son?” Stephen turned to his son; eyebrows raised.

“Sure, Bryce, I’d like you to meet my parents,” Chuck gestured to his parents in turn, “Stephen and Mary Bartowski. Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet CIA Agent Bryce Larkin.”

“Ah, finally a name to the face,” Stephen nodded, “It’s a pleasure to meet you finally. I was wondering who it was that blew up my life’s work.”

Bryce turned to his friend; confusion written on his face. “I don’t understand.”

“Bryce, you may have heard of my parents by their code names,” Chuck smiled beatifically, “Orion and Frost.”

“Ori…” Bryce stammered, “What the fuck, Chuck?”

“Bryce!” Sarah shouted, getting the man’s attention, “I warned you once to watch your language around my daughter, I won’t ask you again.”

“Oh please,” Bryce scoffed, “We all know this isn’t real. I admit the company did a great job finding a little girl who looked enough like you both to pass as your daughter. But the rings, the grandparents, please.”

“I assure you, it’s very real,” Stephen spoke up, “Chuck and Sarah were married two weeks ago, and Molly is very much their daughter.”

“Right,” Bryce shook his head disbelievingly.

“You can choose to believe us or not,” Chuck shrugged, “Doesn’t make it any less true.”

“Was there something specific you needed, Bryce?” Sarah asked, “We were actually on our way to an appointment.”

“I wanted to see how you were doing with the Intersect,” Bryce looked toward Chuck, “I trust you got it?”

“Yes, I did,” Chuck nodded, “But along the line I also got a faulty intersect installed as well by an enemy faction.”

“Fulcrum?” Bryce checked to which Chuck nodded the confirmation.

“I asked my dad to remove the bad program from my head, but the only way to do that was to completely remove it.” Chuck explained.

“Probably for the best,” Bryce shrugged, “I doubt they wanted an outdated intersect running around. Apparently, version 2.0 is finished, they wanted me to upload it.”

“In that case, go with God, Buddy,” Chuck patted his free hand on his friend’s shoulder. “We have to go but let me know how it turns out.”

“I guess I’ll be on my way, then,” Bryce nodded and headed out the door. He was partway across the courtyard when Stephen came after him.

“Agent Larkin,” Stephen stopped the younger man, “I’ve heard chatter that they’ve made some changes to the original technology. Changes that I didn’t authorize, what exactly does the new program do?”

“It’s just an updated version,” Bryce assured the older man, “I hear it’s a bit of a kick in the pants but nothing really to worry about.” He turned and headed through the arched exit of the courtyard where he met a large man in a dark suit. He didn’t notice the concerned look that crossed Stephen’s face.

Two hours later, the family was walking out of the courtyard. The adoption was approved, the paperwork was signed, and Molly’s legal name was changed to Bartowski like her parents. They couldn’t have been more thrilled, but Chuck had noticed the look on his father’s face was not a jubilant as the rest of the group. He handed Molly over to Sarah and pulled his father aside.

“Dad, this is supposed to be a happy occasion,” Chuck gave the older man a questioning look, “What is with the face?”

“This is my face,” Stephen protested.

“You know what I mean, Dad,” Chuck gave his father an unamused look.

“It’s that Agent Larkin from earlier,” Stephen started, “I wanted to ask about the upgraded programming, as I’d heard some things that made me wonder if it was a good idea for him to download the 2.0. He assured me it was perfectly safe then went to meet a man who was waiting for him outside the courtyard. The man wasn’t CIA, actually, he’d been reported dead nearly a decade ago.”

“How would you know?” Chuck asked, watching as his father tapped his temple, causing the younger man to sigh, “You have an intersect?”

“Not a full one,” Stephen shook his head, “I tested a few small data packets on myself.”

“So, what are you saying, Dad?” Chuck asked.

“I think your friend’s in danger,” Stephen stated, “I know where they were probably headed, there’s only one substation large enough to fit the system.”

“Can you and Mom watch Molly tonight?” Chuck asked.

“Yes, but you should take this,” Stephen pushed his gauntlet into his son’s hands. With a nod, Chuck rushed over to his wife to explain to her was going on. Sarah handed Molly over to Mary and the two of them ran to their car and took off for their office.

After quickly changing, they switched to one of their company cars and rushed to the substation that housed the Intersect 2.0. Casey was already waiting for them, a small contingent of the tactical team with him. They breeched the facility, Chuck consulting the gauntlet to guide them to the location they needed. As they neared the room in question, they were cut off. Casey and Sarah insisted that Chuck find another way into the Intersect room.

Since all traditional access points were cut off, Chuck had to find an unusual way of reaching the Intersect room. He climbed on top of a table and undid the screws on the ventilation grate before climbing into the shaft and crawling toward Bryce’s location. Minutes later had him dropping into the iridescently white room. Against a wall was Bryce, he was sweating. A stream of blood ran down the side of his face from just under his hairline. When Chuck got closer, he saw that Bryce was holding his side with a bloodied hand, it was clear the other man had been shot, but was beyond help as Chuck tried to staunch the bleeding.

“It’s too late for me,” Bryce protested, “You may have gotten rid of Fulcrum, but they were only a small part of the issue, The Ring is who you should go after.”

“The Ring?” Chuck questioned, “Who are they?”

“They controlled Fulcrum,” Bryce gasped, sensing his time was close, “Chuck, you have to destroy it, man.” He handed Chuck a disk containing a trojan horse that would crash the program, “You have to destroy the inter…sect” His voice faded as his last breath left him.

Chuck tried to revive Bryce to no avail when he heard pounding on the door. Looking up, he spotted the terminal, running over, he looked between the computer and the disk in his hand, debating a moment. Finally, he made his decision and laid his hand on the palm scanner before hitting ‘enter.’ The lights flickered off, turning the room dark before a series of images started flashing on the screens surrounding him. This download only took a few minutes before it was completed. Chuck stumbled a bit, catching himself on the console before reestablishing his balance and inserting the disk, successfully crashing the system as the door slid open. Black clad operatives entered, pushing Sarah and Casey in front of them, both looking like they’d taken a few hits.

One of the operatives, the one Chuck noticed Casey had been shooting especially dirty looks at, approached the computer console. He put his hand on the scan pad, but the system did not respond, he tried hitting some keys on the keyboard, but the monitor remained blank. With a growl, the operative turned to Chuck, pointing his gun at him. “What did you do?” He demanded, when Chuck did not respond, he asked again, louder, “What did you do? Why is it not working?”

“I destroyed it,” Chuck shrugged, a small, satisfied smirk on his face.

“For that you will die last,” The man nodded to two of his henchmen who retrieved Bryce’s body, despite Sarah’s protests other wise. Another grabbed her and shoved her back towards where Casey was, pointing his gun at her.

She looked over and met Chuck’s eyes as he mouthed, ‘Are you okay?’ She gave him a brief nod before turning back to the main operative.

“Who are you?”

“We’re spies Miss Walker,” The man smirked at her, “The best the Ring has to offer.”

“It’s Carmichael,” She growled at him.

“Is it now?” He turned from Sarah to Chuck, “I guess I should congratulate you. Here’s your wedding gift,” He raised his gun toward her, “I’ll let you die first while your husband watches.”

Seeing the man raise his weapon, sent familiar tingles through Chuck’s head as his eyes fluttered. It felt like the flashes he knew from before, but more intense, but the aftershock wasn’t nearly as bad. Instead of the slight headache he was used to, it was a short dull ache as the information activated, but it dissipated as signals flowed down his spine to his arms and legs.

“Um, Boss, you might want to see this,” One of the henchmen who had his gun focused on Chuck noticed the man’s eyes flutter and his body shift into a more ready stance.

“Chuck, did you just flash?” Sarah’s eyes widened as the main operative turned towards her husband.

“He uploaded it?!” The man growled.

“Oh, Chuck me,” Casey groaned as he watched Chuck go into action. Disabling the men surrounding him. “Miles, trust me, you don’t want to do what you’re thinking of right now. It would be better for you and your men to just surrender now.”

“Shut up, Casey,” The main henchman snarled, “Only reason you’re still alive is you saved my life in Paraguay, I can easily change my mind.”

“Suit yourself,” The older man grunted with a shrug as he watched in amazed amusement as Chuck completed a flawless back handspring, back tuck as the henchmen surrounded him.

Chuck flowed between the different styles of martial arts from hapkido, to krav maga, to karate, and kung fu, quickly neutralizing them all until it was down to the one Casey had identified as Miles. The men faced off trading blows until Chuck struck with a sternum punch and a side kick. Sending Miles sprawling on the floor with the wind knocked out of him.

Once the threat was over, Chuck stood in a defensive stance, taking in the downed opponents around him before turning back to Casey and Sarah. “Guys, I know Kung Fu.” He said in amazement, causing Sarah to smile at the Matrix reference and Casey to roll his eyes at the nerd. Chuck pulled a pocketknife from his slacks and quickly cut the zip ties around Sarah and Casey’s wrists. The three of them made quick work of securing the Ring operatives before calling it in to Beckman. Once all operatives were contained, Casey sent the newly weds home, telling them he would see them the next day at the office.

“And congratulations on everything,” Casey gave them a rare smile before turning, dismissing them.


	39. Chapter 39

Once it was reported to Beckman that Chuck had been the one to download the Intersect 2.0, the fight against the Ring began in earnest. There had been some talk about a Ring specialist joining their team, but Sarah and Chuck immediately shot that down stating that they were guaranteed final approval for anyone and everyone joining the team at Carmichael CyberSecurity. They had seen his file and felt there were too many red flags to even consider him for the team. Their decision was further confirmed six months later.

As it turned out the specialist, a man named Shaw, had been searching for his wife’s killer. In order to gain more information, he’d taken it upon himself to go under cover with no back up to see if he could root out the culprit. By the time he’d learned the identity of his wife’s killer and the reason for the termination order, he’d already been indoctrinated into the Ring himself. He’d hunted down Sarah and threatened her. He’d had her at gunpoint when Chuck tracked them down and killed the rogue agent to save his wife. Casey had called it a righteous kill, but that didn’t mean that the memory of the act didn’t haunt Chuck for a while afterward.

Carmichael CyberSecurity continued to grow and had taken on civilian employees as well as CIA and NSA personnel. Two such employees were Alex McHugh and Morgan. Alex, after much debate, applied, and was accepted, to UCLA’s School of Law. Casey couldn’t have been prouder and had been seen on more than one occasion strutting around his office and bragging on his only child. Morgan had also been hired and was being trained in tactical skills while he worked towards his Business Administration degree. Rumor had it that he was working up the courage to ask Casey for his daughter’s hand, but whether or not he would do it still remained to be seen.

The company had expanded so much that they were looking for a larger office, many locations were being considered, including a couple large buildings near Sherman Oaks and another in North Hollywood that would give them room to continue expanding. When it became clear that those properties would likely work the best for them, Chuck came up with an idea.

The Meadow Branch subdivision had largely been sitting vacant since the Fulcrum cell that had been operating there had been shut down, causing nearly all the homes to be vacated as the residents had moved to secure holding facilities located at various corners of no and where. He’d flown out to DC to give his proposal for the site to Beckman in person and was due back any minute.

Sarah had just pulled a ham out of the oven when she heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. “Daddy!” She heard her daughter call out as she ran towards her father.

“Hey Sweet Pea!” Chuck smiled warmly at his daughter, swinging her up into his arms and then tossing her into the air slightly, causing the little girl to squeal in delight. “Were you good for Mommy while I was off visiting Grandma Beckman?” The general had insisted that Molly, Clara, and any others added to the Bartowski brood, as she called them, refer to her by the moniker since she had no children or grandchildren of her own. She doted on the girls, bringing presents along when she came to visit, which was more often than was likely needed from an operational standpoint, but she was getting close to retirement and the DNI chair didn’t care how much time she spent in her office, so long as she was reachable to be briefed when she was away.

“Yes, Sir,” Molly grinned proudly, “Clara and I went to the park with Grandma and Grandpa and Mommy and Auntie Ellie took us to the zoo, and Auntie Alex and Uncle Morgan took us for ice cream, and…”

“Wow, you’ve been busy,” Chuck interrupted his daughter’s rambling.

“That’s the understatement of the year,” Sarah chuckled as she came into the living room, giving her husband a kiss. “I don’t think she’s sat still until today. A certain uncle of hers let it slip that you were returning today so she has been sitting on the couch most of the afternoon since she got up from her nap.”

“Ah, I see,” Chuck nodded, “I’ll have to remind Morgan to not do that next time, just in case I get held up on my way home. Not that I expect to have another trip anytime soon.”

“So how did things go?” Sarah asked eagerly, hoping to get the low-down before their guests started arriving.

“Beckman approved the idea of using Meadow Branch as CIA housing for those who wish to live there. She even agreed to opening it up to contractors as well as family members of CIA agents who are in residence.”

“Wow,” Sarah nodded.

“And there’s more,” Chuck beamed. “She even suggested turning Echo Park into temporary housing since the majority of the tenants right now are CIA or family of CIA. The only catch is someone would have to live here full time.”

“I’m sure Casey or your parents wouldn’t mind over seeing it.” Sarah shrugged.

“What are you trying to foist off on us?” They turned at Stephen’s teasing voice as he let himself and his wife into the condo. “I hope you don’t mind; the door was still open.”

“Don’t mind at all,” Chuck shook his head, “Just updating Sarah on how my meeting went with Beckman. Here, take this,” He handed Molly over to her grandfather, “I have to take my bags back to the bedroom and change.”

By the time he’d returned, clad in a nerdy tee shirt, jeans, and his chucks, his sister and her family had arrived along with Casey, Morgan and Alex. Molly and Clara were playing together under the watchful eyes of the adults, who were sitting, drinks in their hands visiting and catching up with the events from the previous week. Chuck made a quick detour to the kitchen to grab a beer for himself before joining the rest of his family in the living room.

“So, what did I miss?” He asked, sitting on the arm of the chair where his wife was sitting.

“Other than the rest of the family arriving, nothing much,” Sarah shrugged.

“Sarah mentioned you may have some good news for us,” Morgan led.

“That I do,” Chuck nodded, “My meeting with General Beckman was successful; she said she liked my proposal and would run it by the new CIA Director... DeMarcus, DeMorgan...?”

“DeMonico,” Sarah corrected, “You really need to learn the name of our boss, Sweetheart.”

“I know, I know,” Chuck nodded, “Ever since Graham’s ‘accident’ and Beckman taking up the oversight on Team Carmichael, the CIA brass has changed so much I can’t keep track any more. Especially since we report directly to the General.”

“Get on with it, Moron,” Casey grunted.

Getting on with it,” Chuck rolled his eyes, “Anyway, since the potential new locations are all in North Hollywood and Sherman Oaks, and considering Meadow Branch has been sitting vacant since our operation took out that cell, I suggested that we might turn Meadow Branch into permanent housing for CIA and NSA personnel and contractors attached to Double C and the LA Field office. Also, since Echo Park is pretty much populated by, well us, it was suggested that the condos be turned into temporary and semi-permanent housing for newly transferred agents.”

“I assume that means someone will have to oversee Echo Park,” Mary raised an eyebrow at her son.

“That would be the idea,” Chuck nodded, “To be honest Casey or you and Dad came to mind for that, if you are up to it. If not, I’m sure we can find another semi-retired operative to handle it.”

“Why would it have to be someone semi-retired?” Mary challenged, “What if a younger person was interested?”

“Then they could take it, I suppose,” Chuck shrugged, “But unless they took over this unit or Ellie and Awesome’s place, assuming they choose to move out, the units here aren’t big enough to grow a family past maybe one or two kids. Granted there are plenty of young, single, agents both at Carmichael and the LA office, but most of them are wanting more active assignments that take them out of town fairly frequently. I figured someone who wasn’t going out on missions as often and who may have an empty nest would be better suited to keeping an eye on things. Casey already had the grumpy old man thing going for him. He strikes me as the kind who would spray people with his garden hose if they got too rowdy.”

“Find someone else, Bartowski,” Casey grunted, “If this Meadow Branch thing goes through, I’m moving out there. They had some smaller houses there that would suit me just fine with enough patio space for the BeastMaster I’ve had my eye on for a while now.”

“I honestly wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on things around here,” Stephen shrugged, “We could probably cover Echo Park. What do you think, Mary?”

“I was only giving Chuck a hard time. I would love to stay around here.” Mary nodded, “Plus that little apartment we’re in isn’t enough space for us and your little projects.”

“You said CIA and NSA contractors could move out to Meadow Branch as well?” Ellie piped up, “Does that mean we could?”

“Yes,” Chuck grinned, “I had you guys as well as Alex and Morgan in mind when I suggested that since they work directly for Carmichael CyberSecurity and you guys are our contracted medical staff. I thought you would like the idea of living in a secure, gated community not too far from your favorite younger brother and niece.”

“Yes!” Morgan cried punching both hands into the air, “Joint backyard here we come!”

“That still remains to be seen.” Chuck rolled his eyes, “You would have to purchase a house on either side of ours first. While the community would be made up of company personnel and contractors, the individual homes will be privately owned.”

Morgan looked over to his girlfriend who gave him a warm smile, “We can take a look to see what we can afford.”

“So, I guess the joint back yard plan will have an asterisk for the time being,” Morgan gave a small shrug. “When will we know for sure when the plan will go through?”

“Should be finalized within the next month or so before it is made known to the locals.” Chuck explained, “Then they’ll start opening up the homes for viewing and inspections. The process will be the same as purchasing a home outside of the subdivision, with one difference, those making offers will be purchasing their homes from the government escrow holder who has been managing the homes since the raid.”

“So, we’re all starting from scratch?” Morgan questioned.

“I wouldn’t say _all_,” Chuck gave his friend a small smile, “Sarah and I technically already own our house, we just have to change the names on the title to our actual names rather than the cover identities it was purchased under.”

“Wait,” Devon spoke up, “If you already own a house, why are you still living here?”

“Well, to start with, it took a while to clear out all the Fulcrum affiliated people in the subdivision,” Sarah piped in, “We also didn’t know what all was in the homes, so it wasn’t really safe to be living there while the cleanup was going on. We also had to protect our cover, since Sarah Danvers kicked Charlie out for cheating on her, it would have looked suspicious to the neighbors if he suddenly moved back in. We also weren’t sure if we wanted to move there or not but chose to hold onto it until we decided one way or another. Lastly, we wanted to stay close to the family and the office. With the office moving, and possibly some of the family, that won’t be a concern anymore.”

“Awesome,” Devon nodded before turning to his wife, “What do you think, Babe?”

“We have been talking about buying a house,” Ellie shrugged, “Couldn’t hurt to take a look at what is available. Chuck and Sarah’s house is pretty nice. I like the floor plan and the backyard was pretty decently sized.”

“Sounds like everyone is on the same page,” Mary looked between the other couples, her husband, and Casey, “I guess we just wait until we get the go ahead to move forward.”

“That’s pretty much the long and the short of it,” Chuck nodded, “Well, now that is out of the way, why don’t we eat. That ham has been calling my name since I got home.”

A round of agreement followed as the family made their way to the dining room, Chuck and Devon grabbed the girls and got them settled in their booster seats while the rest of the family helped bring dishes out to the table and took their seats as well. Dinner was as it always was, friendly conversation, amicable ribbing, and comfort that came with spending time as a family.

~~~~~~~~~

Two months later, security protocols for the Meadow Branch subdivision were confirmed and guard stations were set up and vetted guards installed. Before long, employees and contractors with the local CIA and NSA field offices began stopping by with their spouses and families to look over the available housing and make offers.

Awesome and Ellie had settled on the house to the right of Chuck and Sarah’s home. The floor plan for the Woodcombs’ new home was mirrored to that of the Bartowskis’. While Ellie wasn’t keen on Morgan and Chuck sharing a back yard, she didn’t put up much of a fight when her husband and younger brother agreed to take down the fence that separated their backyards. Much to the amusement of their wives, the men were already planning a huge playset that would straddle the property line between the two homes.

Morgan and Alex lost the bid on the house to the left of Chuck and Sarah’s to Kevin and Josie, but were able to get their second choice, the house directly across the cul-de-sac where Sylvia and Cliff Arculin had formerly resided. The underground lair that had access points from most of the homes in the cul-de-sac had been retrofitted as a safehouse in case a need for it ever arose. Morgan had left most of the decorating of the house to Alex but had gotten her to agree to let him make the basement into a tech den similar to what Chuck and Sarah had in their house.

Casey had found a small two bedroom near the entrance to the subdivision that suited him just fine. It was close enough to his daughter’s home, but far enough from the cul-de-sac where many of his co-workers had chosen to reside that he was able to maintain his sanity.

Sarah and Chuck had decided to do one more walk though of their house before officially moving in to make some final decisions on how they wanted it to be set up. They’d already been informed that they could keep the furniture they had requisitioned for their op a couple years back. Since the furniture and decorations for the home were things they had chosen together rather than the mish mash of his and hers items and furniture that made up their condo, they chose to sell the furniture from the condo and keep the things at the new house, with the exception of Molly’s bedroom set which was to come with them.

“What are you thinking?” Chuck asked his wife, wrapping his arms around her waist as they stood in the doorway of what had been Molly’s room during the mission.

“Debating if this should stay Molly’s room or if we should move her down the hall,” Sarah shrugged.

“What are you more inclined to?” Chuck pressed.

“I’m thinking moving her down the hall to an unattached room would be best,” Sarah mused, “If we stay here and make this our forever home, eventually she’s not going to like having a connected room with us.”

“Good point,” Chuck nodded, “So are you thinking of making this room into an office?”

“Haven’t decided yet,” Sarah shrugged turning in her husband’s arms she faced him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, “To be determined?”

“I think I can work with that.” Chuck smiled softly at his wife before lowering his head to press a kiss to her lips, “Until then, we could just leave this stuff here, since Molly has her own things.”

“Agreed,” Sarah smiled up at her husband, “We should probably figure out which room we’ll make into Molly’s.”

“So much work,” Chuck teased as his wife led him down the hall to decide which of the remaining bedrooms would house their daughter.


	40. Chapter 40

The mass move-in to Meadow Branch took several weeks of the team and their families taking turns moving each of them into their respective homes. Of course, Chuck and Sarah’s move was not quite as taxing since they only needed to move their computers and Molly’s furniture over to the new house. To say that Molly was excited about her new room with her ‘big girl bed’ that her father and Uncle Awesome had made out of the head and foot board of her adjustable crib and a toddler frame. The new room had been decorated by her Auntie Alex who had volunteered. To everyone’s surprise, except perhaps Morgan, she had painted a mural with a grassy hill covered in flowers with butterflies floating in the sky.

When Alex shared her vision for the design, Sarah, Ellie, and Mary had gone out shopping to pick up sheets, pillowcases, and a duvet that fit with the theme of the room. Mary had even found some butterfly and flower shaped throw pillows that now lay across the back of the bed alongside the wall. The biggest surprise was when Casey showed up on moving day with a large toy chest that was painted white with ‘Molly’ painted on the lid. When asked where he got it, he just shrugged and grunted causing Chuck and Sarah to give him knowing looks. The armory had smelled of paint fumes the week before, now they knew why.

Now that everyone had been moved in, Ellie, Awesome, and Clara being the last to move in since they didn’t have to also help with coordinating the move of Carmichael CyberSecurity, everyone was gathering at Chuck and Sarah’s for a joint block party and celebration of Chuck’s birthday. Casey had insisted on manning the grill and was flipping burgers while Chuck and Awesome were reveling in their mutual admiration society over a job well done with taking down the fence separating their properties and getting the play structure that the children at the gathering were enjoying. They, along with Morgan and Kevin, helped the kids on the slide and on the swings, reveling in the squeals of delight coming from the kids.

Ellie and Sarah were hanging out on the patio with Josie and Alex, chatting amicably as they watched the children play, both the little ones and their spouses. Morgan had recently asked for Alex’s hand and they were planning a wedding for the following summer so they could take their honeymoon before Alex’s final year of law school, and Morgan’s second year of college began. There was a large park with a gazebo in the middle of the subdivision where they were thinking of having the wedding. Ellie and Sarah had already agreed to allow their daughters to be flower girls at the ceremony and a cousin of Morgan’s had a little boy about the same age who was to be the ring bearer.

Casey called that grub was on and quickly served up burgers, hotdogs, and sausages to the group who rotated past him before heading over to the tables covered in condiments and side dishes. To everyone’s delight, Ellie had brought over Morgan’s favorite side dish #2, sweet potatoes with mini marshmallows. Alex had brought over some green bean casserole, which the Woodcombs and Chuck were hesitant to try after the last time a significant other of Morgan’s had brought over the same dish. Morgan quickly assured them that no tartar sauce had been involved in the making of the dish, much to their relief and they gladly added a scoop or two of the casserole to their plates.

Stephen and Mary had arrived about the time that dinner had been served and joined their son’s extended family in the feast before Mary announced that they had brought cake. To Chuck’s embarrassment, he had to endure his friends and family singing to him before he was encouraged to make a wish and blow out the candles topping the sweet confection. He had Molly ‘help’ him and soon the multitude of candles representing his 30 years of life.

A couple hours later, once the guests had left, the family had cleaned up, and the Awesomes headed back to their own house, Sarah, Chuck, and Molly were relaxing on the porch swing, enjoying the cool fall breeze and stargazing.

“So, what did you wish for?” Sarah asked quietly, leaning her head on her husband’s shoulder.

“Uh-uh,” Chuck shook his head with a smirk, “Can’t say, or else it won’t come true.”

“Whatever,” Sarah rolled her eyes at her husband. After a few minutes, she noticed their daughter getting drowsy. It had been a long day for all of them. “Well, I think it’s time for someone to go to bed.”

“No, Mommy,” Molly whined, “I’m not sleepy.

“C’mon, Sweet Pea,” Chuck smiled down at his daughter as he lifted her from her mother’s arms, “We gotta do what your Mommy says. She’s the boss.”

“’Kay,” Molly sighed, burying her head in his shoulder.

“I think we can skip bath time tonight,” Sarah advised, knowing Molly wouldn’t last and getting washed would only serve to make her grumpy. “I’ll be up in a minute to kiss her good night.”

“Alright,” Chuck nodded, heading into the house. He quickly got her ready for bed and laid her down. Chuck had just started singing to her as his wife came into the room. He saw her leaning against the doorframe smiling at him as she listened to his soft voice. They took turns kissing Molly before heading out of the room.

“I love watching you put her to sleep,” Sarah smiled up at her husband as they walked back to the living room, his arm around her shoulders. “You are so good with her.”

“Thanks,” Chuck kissed his wife’s forehead, “She makes it easy.”

They had settled on the couch for a moment before Sarah sat up, “Oh, I almost forgot. I have something for you.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Chuck protested, watching his wife dash up the stairs only to return a moment later with a small gift bag.

“Strictly speaking, I wasn’t alone in this,” She smiled at him, handing him the bag. She sat next to him, looking on expectantly as she watched him open the bag and carefully remove the paper before pulling out an oblong box that had housed a bracelet at one point.

Chuck gave her a questioning look and slowly opened the box. His eyes immediately shot up to his wife before he returned them to the contents of the box, “Please tell me you’re not joking...” He gasped, “Is this really for real?”

“Really for real,” Sarah confirmed, a wide grin on her face. “I had your sister confirm it the other day.”

“See I told you my wish would come true if I didn’t say anything,” Chuck beamed.

“I hardly think it would have made much of a difference,” Sarah chuckled, “Since it happened nearly two months ago, from what Ellie and I figure, I'm due in April.”

“April, wow,” Chuck shook his head in amazement, “So, this is really happening?”

“Well, we should probably wait another month before we go announcing it,” Sarah advised, “Just in case, but yes, it’s really happening. You’re gonna be a Daddy... again.”

“I love you,” Chuck wrapped his wife up in his arms, “So much. Thank you.”

“Well it wasn’t really a solo accomplishment,” Sarah chuckled, “I had a little help... or some big help.” She gave her husband a lascivious grin.

“Awesome warned me about this,” Chuck’s eyebrows shot up, “But I could have sworn that in that moment of overshare he said it didn’t start until the second trimester.”

“Well, I’ve always been ahead of the curve,” Sarah smiled at him, “Why don’t you come with me and we can celebrate while I show you a few things.”

Chuck watched his wife sashay toward the stairs, “Not to be crude, but you mean sex, right?” Sarah just smirked, nodded, and dashed up the stairs with a squeal as her husband followed her, excited over how far they had come. 


End file.
